• My pet has - thick fur/only goes outside in our fenced yard/doesn't interact with other pets/only spends 10 minutes a day outside - he can't get those, can he?
  
  
  • Any pet that goes outdoors during warmer weather, even if only for a few minutes a day, can be bitten by a mosquito carrying heartworms. Heartworms are different  from other common parasites in that they live in the heart, and their larvae live in the blood stream, instead of infesting the intestinal tract. When an infected mosquito (i.e. one who has bitten an infected dog) bites your pet, it passes on heartworm larvae. Unfortunately thick fur doesn't stop a bite on the nose, a fence won't stop a flying mosquito, mosquitoes will find any dog in your neighborhood, and when they see a meal, they go for it immediately. Dogs, and other related species (wolf, coyote, etc) are natural hosts for heartworms, but cats can also get heartworm infections. Don't worry, humans are not the preferred host, and heartworms in people are rare.
    

• So what's a pet owner to do?
  
  • Step 1 - PREVENT!
    All cats and dogs that go outside should be protected with a quality preventative. For cats, the same product that kills fleas, ALSO kills heartworms. Revolution, a by prescription once monthly topical, also treats ear mites, roundworms, and hookworms. For dogs, we recommend using Heartgard which is a by prescription once monthly chewable tablet. It also treats roundworms and hookworms. We also have Proheart, a safe and high effective injection given in our office that prevents heartworm disease for 6 months.
    
  • Step 2 -Yearly testing (dogs only)
    Keep your dog's heartworm test up to date. Yes, that's even important for those pets on year round prevention. No  preventative is 100% effective 100% of the time for 100% of all pets. There are several reasons for this, which is beyond the scope of this page, though our vets will be happy to explain if you wish. Early detection is key to successful treatment of  canine heartworms. The longer they go undetected, the more difficult the treatment, and the worse it is for your dog. To set up a heartworm test, please call us at 715-582-4268.
    
  • Step 3 - Keep going!
    For best preventative protection, we recommend maintaining your pet on a heartworm preventative year round. This is especially important for pets that come from southern states, and for those "snow bird" dogs. Even if your pup never leaves town, the best practice is to maintain year round protection, not only for the heartworm prevention, but to keep roundworms and hookworms (which will infect people as well!) at bay. At a bare minimum, your pet should be on a heartworm preventative once a month from April through November, and possibly earlier or later depending on what kind of warm weather we are experiencing.
    
    
• Note about cats and heartworms:
  For cats, there are no treatments available once the heartworms become adults. Consistent and diligent prevention is the only option. For unprotected cats, heartworms often create an immune overreaction that in many cases causes the sudden death of the cat. Some cats have gradually worsening breathing issues that also lead to death. Cats and heartworms is just all around bad news, so keep those outdoor or indoor/outdoor cats safe and use Revolution!
  

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