Fleas and Heartworm Be Gone!
I recently came upon this site that sells cheap medications for my dog. Until now, I’ve bought all my medications directly from my vet, which meant that I had to make an appointment in order to get him preventative medicine for things like internal parasites and fleas. If only someone had told me before that I could simply order his prescriptions on the internet! I made another important breakthrough as well. For years I’ve been buying my dog both Heartgard Plus for dogs and flea medicine. These seemed to be the two that were absolutely necessary. But while browsing around this new site, I found a product called Sentinel for dogs. Sentinel also treats heartworm, but it was notably more costly, so I looked at the product description on the site. Sentinel kills fleas as well as heartworm! My dog can take just one product and get rid of both problems. This was an epiphany to me.
This is going to save me both money and ado. Even though the price of Sentinel is twice that of Heartgard, the even higher cost of a medication like Frontline Plus makes it a true deal. Of course, I need to give heartworm preventatives to my dog during a portion of the year, so I’m not sure how this will affect when I give him the medicine. Can I stop it during the cold part of the year entirely, or does he still need some flea medicine during that time? It seems like fleas, too, are only a problem really in the warmer months. I’ll have to do more research on the topic, but overall I’m ecstatic. I wish someone had told me before about this two-in-one solution. It’ll also be nice not to have to spread the sticky flea medication on my dog’s neck anymore. He always hates it and throws a fit.
Dogs as well as Cats are Seeing a Rise in Heartworm Disease
Every year, veterinarians brace for the disease that has plagued our pets for decades. Yet this disease is easily preventable by using inexpensive and safe medications. Cases of Heartworm both in dogs and cats continue to increase and the expenditure to treat (if recognized soon enough) can be far greater that the expense to prevent. Consequently, how can you offer protection to your pet from the lethal consequences of this now common parasite?
Flash back to 150 years ago when a researcher first discovered the heartworm parasite in a dog. Then the parasite evolved and was then found inside our cats 80 years ago. Even though heartworm prevention is available for both dogs and cats you would believe that we would experience a reduction in the number of cases, still each year hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed and oftentimes die too soon from this dreaded parasite. Some experts speculate that in North America alone, cases of heartworm in our pets could actually be in the millions.
The disease brought on by this heartworm living inside your pet’s heart is disastrous. Your pet can be infected through the solitary bite of just one single mosquito. The worm may then migrate through your pet’s entire body eventually taking up residence in your pet’s heart chamber and the blood vessels leading to the lungs. This leads to your pet’s heart having to pump harder to circulate the blood through his tiny body. The effects to the lungs is much more critical with some pets gasping for breath because the lungs fill with fluid and tiny blood clots clog the vessels. Early signs can include coughing and exercise intolerance that some owners just attribute to the dog getting lazy. Quite often, symptoms do not emerge until the disease is well advanced and the dog is being affected by heart failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs and abdomen which can ultimately lead to death.
In cats, it takes only one heartworm to produce damage. The first signs are asthma like symptoms and occasionally vomiting that the owners will attribute to hairballs. Whenever that heartworm lodges in the lungs, it can lead to a sudden death of the cat.
Treatment for heartworm is pricey starting from $500 for the smaller dogs, to upwards of $1500 for the bigger breeds. Complicated heartworm disease with heart failure is much more expensive and sometimes there is only a 10% chance of recovery in the severely afflicted pets. As of yet, there is no treatment for cat heartworm disease, just supportive care.
Incredibly, veterinarians do have a remedy for this crisis. Safe, effective heartworm preventatives are available in a number of easy to use applications. What is even more incredible is that the expense of a lifetime of prevention for most pets is considerably less that a one-time treatment for the disease. And so, why do pets continue to suffer and die from such a preventable sickness?
As with all internet myths, two radical hypotheses think . that either the heartworm medications are failing or that the parasites are developing a resistance to the medicines. Although conspiracy theorists love these thoughts, medical proof for either possibility is lacking. Heartworm preventives have a failure rate of less than 1 in 1 million doses. In addition, the complex life cycle of the heartworm does not lend itself to developing a natural resistance to the drugs. The truth perhaps lies in the remembrance of the owner to dispense the dose in a timely manner and the global temperature.
Rising temperatures in our climate has triggered a prolonged mosquito season and a greater potential for transmission to our pets. Here in Houston, our mosquito season is all year round. Some regions are currently seeing significantly more mosquitoes in formerly mosquito-free locations. Irrigation of dry areas and expanded plantings of trees in certain places might actually increase mosquito population. With a larger number of mosquitoes, there is a better possibility of transmission of heartworm disease.
When all of the facts are examined, the simplest reason for our failure to manage this fatal parasite rests on the humans themselves. We simply do not give the preventive as we need to. It might be because of forgetfulness, or perhaps one spouse believed the other one gave it or perhaps it could be a result of the economic crisis and the monetary difficulties imposed on the family unit. Regardless of the cause might be, it can bring about dire consequences for the sake of our pets.
Thankfully, as pet lovers, you do have powerful allies to help you combat the war against heartworm. Through the help of your veterinarian, you are able to choose the most effective heartworm medication for your pet and your finances. Oral prescription drugs, including Heartgard, Sentinel, and Iverhart are available. Additionally, there are topical medications for example Advantage-Multi and Revolution that are formulated to also protect your pet from both heartworms and fleas. Proheart 6 is additionally available as a long lasting injection. The prevention of this disease rests entirely on the pet’s owners to make sure the pet receives the prevention before the pet is going to be exposed to the parasite. Which means that the prevention must begin in puppy-hood and be administered on a monthly basis, throughout the year.
Don’t waste time searching for “natural” or organic ways to prevent heartworm; they just do not exist. Some people believe they can formulate ivermectin to offer to their pets, but incorrect dilution and storage lead to overdosing or underdosing. Follow recommendations by your veterinarian and the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org) Your pet is counting on you and prevention is much better and less costly than the treatment.
Dog Health Care : Heartworm Prevention for Dogs & Puppies
Learn how to prevent heart worms and intestinal parasites in your dog or puppy in thisfree video. Expert: Sarah Tingle Contact: www.extracareanimalhospital.net Bio: Sarah Tingle is a resident exotic animal health technician specializing in dog health care. Filmmaker: Hiu Yau
Natural Heartworm Prevention For Dogs
Are you looking for natural heartworm prevention for dogs? Many concerned pet owners are looking for natural prevention methods because of the harsh side effects that can be caused by traditional veterinarian medicines. I am sure you know that heartworms can be serious and I am sure that you also know that dogs can be given healthier and safer prevention methods just like humans can today for a variety of illnesses and ailments. Just imagine being able to save our canine friends from harsh side effects and being able to save a few bucks in the process.
Let’s take a quick look at the problems with the traditional approach and then turn to the natural heartworm for dog’s issue.
SIDE EFFECTS FROM HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE MEDICATIONS
Side effects from use of heartworm preventative medications include diarrhea, convulsions, vomiting and general tiredness or weakness. Your pet’s body recognizes the chemicals in the heartworm pills as poison and uses their immune systems to try and fight off what they see as foreign bodies. Therefore, when on these medications your pets will have weakened immune systems which allow your pet to get sick easier.
The active ingredients used in most commonly prescribed heartworm medicines contain insecticides. It is not wonder that our dogs can react negatively to these medicines. They are sold as preventative treatment but what you may not know is that are really killing larvae in our dog’s blood stream instead of preventing the larvae from getting there in the first place.
Did you know that garlic is being used to prevent heartworms? The theory is that when our dogs eat garlic their skin puts of a pungent smell that keeps insects from biting the dog. Because mosquito bites from an infected mosquito is what transfers the larvae to our dog’s skin and is the cause ultimately of heartworms, garlic is being used to fend off the mosquito bites. It is also used for fleas.
ALTERNATIVE PREVENTION FOR HEARTWORMS
Because many veterinarians now recognize that long term use of preventative medications can cause side effects in our pets many people are turning to alternative methods to prevent heartworms. The methods will help overall but you should discuss using them with your vet.
Provide a healthy diet. Many people are now avoiding commercial pet food and feeding their pets natural vegetables, fruits, and raw meat Boost your pet’s immune system Strengthen your pet’s heart and circulatory system In areas where heartworms are prevalent think about regular de-worming Black walnut extract and garlic are also being used as preventatives Prevention is much cheaper than treatment at the vet’s office
Many current medications produce harmful side effects in our pets. That is why a growing number of concerned pet owners have decided to use natural remedies. Many natural remedies work quite well and save you a bunch of money in the process. Read on through the last paragraph and find out home remedies secrets that are safe and effective.
Are you making any of the classic pet treatment mistakes which will cause you to miss out on natural heartworm for dogs treatment? I hate to admit it but I have made most if not all of them myself. Find out what they are and how to avoid them by visiting http://www.natural-and-herbal-dog-remedies.com right now before you do any serious harm to your pet. They are a member of the family also.