Cascade Hospital for Animals
6730 Cascade Road, SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 949-0960
(616) 949-2688 (fax)
Hours
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Mo - Th |
7:30 am
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-
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7:00 pm |
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Friday |
7:30 am
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-
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6:00 pm |
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Saturday |
8:00 am
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-
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5:00 pm |
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Sunday |
10:00 am
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-
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5:00 pm |
Doctors'
hours by
appointment only
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back to prevention of flea infestations |
forward to caring for your pet's teeth
|
Your dog should be tested each year
for Heartworm disease. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes and can cause severe
illness and even death. We recommend giving heartworm preventative each month for
the entire year as well as testing your pets blood annually for presence of heartworm.
We also recommend a fecal analysis every six
months to test for internal parasites such as tapeworm, hookworm, roundworm and
whipworm. Puppies and kittens commonly have worms. Pets left untreated for these
parasites may also be carrying them. Signs that your pet may have internal parasites
include a slightly bloated belly, loose or bloody stools, excessive stool or flatulence,
"spaghetti" type worms in stool or vomit, and/or small "rice" type worms in stool.
If your pet tests positive for heartworm or any
of the internal parasites, we will prescribe a medication to rid its system of them.
Heartworm treatment requires hospitalization. There is currently no treatment for
heartworm in cats. We strongly recommend starting a monthly preventative medication
that will keep both the internal parasites and heartworm from developing should
your cat or dog be further exposed. (Sentinel®,
Interceptor®,
Revolution® or Heartgard®)
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Even though you give the preventative monthly
it is recommended that your pet have regular fecal analyses and heartworm tests.
This will ensure that any potential problems are caught before a pet shows symptoms.
Unknown to you, absorption of the preventative may not be complete if the pet has
diarrhea, vomits the pill, spits it out or has other health issues which compromise
its effectiveness. In some situations, giving the heartworm preventative to a dog
with heartworm disease could be fatal. |
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In addition, worms can live in the soil for an
incredibly long time. Other dogs may have lived in your yard at one time. In areas
of new development, your yard could be impacted by the land's prior use, such as
farm fields and woods where the soil was in contact with other animals carrying
the parasites!
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back to prevention of flea infestations |
forward to caring for your pet's teeth
|
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©2006-2008 Cascade Hospital for Animals / 6730 Cascade Road, SE / Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 / PH: (616) 949-0960 / FX: (616) 949-2688 / Contact Us
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