24 Feb 2008 01:19:41 | S.A. Smith
Has your pet recently been coughing, eating less, or being more
lethargic than usual? If so, it is possible that your pet is
infected with heartworms and may need immediate help and
attention. Heartworms may infect a host for up to 2 years before
any signs or symptoms are visible, and often when they are
diagnosed it may be too late for some pets.
Heartworms are an infectious parasitic transmitted by mosquitoes
that invades major organs in dogs and cats like the lungs,
pulmonary arteries and heart. Heartworms grow and multiply
within the pet body and can survive for up to 5 years.
Heartworms cause damage and block smaller arterial vessels in
your pets key organs leading to organ damage and a multitude of
health complications.
The symptoms of a heartworm infestation are often difficult to
recognize or may be overlooked or discounted as merely flu or
cough-like symptoms. Coughing, weigh loss, lethargy, rapid heart
beat, poor coat condition, diarrhea and loss of appetite are
common symptoms. Treatment to rid a pet of adult heartworms is a
costly vet procedure and involves exposing your pet to arsnic
poisoning treatments to kill the adult heatworms - a procedure
that can be fatal for aged pets or ones in deteriorating
physical condition.
The best approach to dealing with the risk of heartworms is
through and active prevention program. Prevention is the key to
controlling and avoiding the health problems associated with
these highly contagious and common parasites. A simple oral
medication administred once a month is all it takes to protect
your pets from the damaging effects of heartworm infestation.
For more specific information on treatment and prevention
methods visit: http://www.pet-medicine-meds.com/heartworms.htm
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