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®)| Even though you give the preventative monthly it is recommended that your pet have regular internal parasite evaluation 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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