Heartworm
Once considered a parasite of the southern climates Heartworm is now recognized as a major, global pest affecting dogs, cats, wolves, and many other animals. The disease is transmitted through mosquitoes, and contrary to popular belief, Heartworm cannot be transmitted by infected dogs. Places such as the states near the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Gulf present a higher Heartworm infestation rate then most places. So in places with high mosquito infestation, it’s recommended you take year round preventative measures.
Heartworm prevention is simple. Requiring a prescription from your veterinarian, both topical and oral versions of Heartworm medication are available for your dog. The most popular Heartworm medications, such as Heartguard and Proheart can be administered in monthly oral doses, while other Heartworm medications like Revolution, are administered topically.
If you are concerned that your animal may have Heartworm, or see symptoms related to Heartworm, a blood check can be preformed to tell for sure if your animal has Heartworm. If the Heartworm has not progressed far, and is considered treatable, the first step for the veterinarian is to evaluate the animal and check on other problems he or she may have that might prevent the Heartworm treatment from working. The next step, once any other problems are set aside, is to kill the adult Heartworms with an arsenic compound. Veterinarians also now have access to a new Heartworm product called Immiticide which has been proven to have fewer side effects and dangers for the animals.
You or your veterinarian then administer the Heartworm treatment in two doses each day for around two days. This is followed by several weeks of rehabilitation to allow your pet’s system a chance to deal with the dead and dying Heartworms. Another three to four weeks after the administration of the drug may be needed in order to kill the adult Heartworms and any other remaining parasites. It is recommended to have follow-up Heartworm visits as your pet recovers.
Surgical removal of Heartworms is another possibility if it is
a serious case. This, however, is not recommended, often costing
a lot of money to do the Heartworm procedure
Pet Care Links
Debt Elimination
DebtEliminator101 is a site focused on really helping people fight personal debt. We created this based on our personal experiences of fighting these battles personally and winning the debt war. The site offers free debt elimination tools, amortization calculators, and best of all, free credit counseling and advice. Debt eliminator also offers a special free get out of debt pamphlet, that offers great practical advice and 3 ways on how to get out of debt. The site also has extensive information and offers tips on Debt Consolidation, Debt Settlement, Credit Repair, and Bankruptcy. Whatever your debt challenges are, this site is a great resource that we highly recommend.
