Warning: Recent case of heartworm.

Please make sure your furr babies are up to date with their prevention medication. Heartworm disease is caused by a parasitic worm (Dirofilaria immitis) that is spread through the bite of a mosquito. It can result in severe lung disease, heart failure, and death in pets, mainly dogs, cats, and ferrets. The worms are called “heartworms” because the adults live primarily in the heart, as well as the lungs, and associated blood vessels. The lifespan of a heartworm is approximately 5 to 7 years. Adult heartworms resemble strands of cooked spaghetti and can reach lengths of 4 to 12 inches. Heartworm can be tested via a simple blood test in clinic. Symptoms of heartworm disease can include: · Coughing · Lethargy · Difficulty breathing · Heart failure · Fatality Heartworm positive dogs do not always show signs initially, it can take years for symptoms to appear. It is recommended that dogs 6 months and older are tested for heartworm before starting heartworm prevention if they have not been up to date with preventives. Heartworm preventives do not kill adult heartworms. If a dog is heartworm-positive and starts on a preventative, it can remain infected with heartworms until it gets sick enough to show symptoms. Giving a heartworm preventive to an infected dog can be harmful or deadly. Cats can also get heartworm from infected mosquitos, although they are not as susceptible to infection as dogs, as the worms do not thrive as well inside a cat’s body. Both indoor and outdoor cats are at risk. Treatment for heartworm disease can be difficult, costly, and dangerous. The Best Treatment is Prevention! Heartworm prevention: · Dogs o Milpro or Milbemax at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of age o Proheart injection at 12 weeks of age, with a booster at 6 months of age, then annually for life. · Cats o Milpro or Milbemax at 6, 8 and 12 weeks od age, then monthly for life

We are offering FREE Proheart injections for puppies 12 weeks of age, up until the month of March. To make an appointment, call (02) 4925 2999 or book online.