| HEARTWORM PREVENTION:
Heartworm disease is a very real and serious disease in Missouri. Heartworms can affect dogs and cats over the age of 6-7 months old. It is found in almost all parts of the United States and tends to have a higher incidence in areas with large numbers of mosquitoes. Heartworms are parasites that travel in the blood stream and live in the animal’s heart and adjacent blood vessels. This parasite requires the female mosquitoe to complete its lifecycle. When the mosquitoe bites an affected animal it sucks the blood that contain the microfilariae (inmature heartworms). This mosquitoe can then transmitt the microfilariae to a new host and infect that animal. Prevention There are several products used to prevent heartworm disease. Blood screening tests are available to detect the presence of heartworms. Please ask our veterinarians which product they recommend for your pet. Most manufacuters give a 100% guarantee protection if your animal is on heartworm prevention year round. Treatment If your pet is diagnosed with heartworms there are treatment protocols available to kill the adult heartworms and their offspring. Prevention is less expensive, safer, and better for your pet. Intestinal Parasites Dogs and cats of any age can harbor intestinal parasites. Two of the most common parasites are roundworms and hookworms. It is not unusual for puppies of only 2-3 weeks of age to contain a significant number of worms. This is due to the larval form of the worm being passed from the mother to the baby before birth or shortly after birth. Most pets show no signs of infection, but they can include weight loss, vomiting, and diarrhea.  Click image to enlarge Yes. These parasites are passed to people through the contact of infected feces. Eggs and larvae can live in the environment (sandboxes, potting soil, garden, ect.) for long periods of time. Roundworms can produce a condition in humans known as visceral larval migrans. These larvae can damage to the nerves in the human eye and can sometimes result in blindness. Hookworm larvae affect people by causing inflammation under the skin. This is known as cutaneous larval migrans. Prevention Protect yourself and your family by having your pet tested for intestinal parasites and de-wormed. Our veterinarians follow the guidelines issued by the Center of Disease Control. Let us create a de-worming protocol to protect you and your pet from intestinal parasites. FLEA & TICK CONTROL: Fleas and ticks can be found on your pets year-round. Fortunately, there are many topical and oral products that can be used to help treat and prevent these critters from infesting your dogs and cats. However, it is important to understand the life cycle in order to eradicate these pests from your pet and home. Diseases associated with the flea include flea allergy dermatitis and tapeworm infestation. There are also many tick-borne diseases. Different species of ticks transmit different diseases. American dog ticks, Brown dog ticks, Lone Star ticks, and Deer ticks are some of the most common species. They are associated with diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease. Screening for exposure to Ehrlichia canis and Lyme disease starts in-hospital using the same test for heartworm disease. However, confirmation often involves more extensive out-of-hospital bloodwork. Ø Program® (lufenuron) – immature adult fleas |
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