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Heartgard Plus
  ![Heartgard Plus]()
_Heartgard
is a monthly pet medication for the _prevention
of heartworm disease. Heartgard is 100%
_effective
against heartworms; and it controls _roundworms
and hookworms. Heartgard treats and _controls
more effectively than the next leading brand
and is veterinarian recommended. Heartgard
is approved for puppies and kittens as young
as 6 weeks of age.
A prescription is
required for this product.
Click
here for details
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Heartworm facts...
* Heartworms
are a parasitic worm (about the diameter of thin
spaghetti) that normally live free floating in
the right ventricle of the heart and nearby blood
vessels.
* The parasites are transmitted from one individual
to another by mosquitoes.
* Heartworm is diagnosed with blood tests, and/or
X-rays, along with other tests.
* Heartworms are not detectable with the commonly
used antigen blood test until they are sexually
mature (about 6 months after entering the patient).
Female worms must be present for accurate test
results.
* Heartworm has been diagnosed in all 50 states
and also worldwide. In most areas of the country
Heartworm is an important pet health care issue.
Heartworm is spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes.
* In most areas of the USA, veterinarians recommend
Heartworm prevention for dogs. Preventative measures
in cats is also becoming more common as veterinarians
continue to learn more about the parasite in cats
and become skilled at recognizing the disease
in cats. Previously it was thought that felines
were not at a significant risk of getting Heartworm
and that preventative was not needed. We are learning
this is not necessarily true. The need for pre-exposure
preventative medication in cats depends on the
incidence of Heartworm in your area. Your local
veterinarian is your best source of information.
* Dogs should be tested FIRST… before starting
heartworm preventatives unless they are less than
7 months old.
* Dog’s over 7 months of age that are started
on preventative without first testing for Heartworm
are at an increased risk of developing severe
reactions.
* Puppies should be started on Heartworm preventative
by 8 weeks of age (depending on the product being
used) and then blood tested at 7 months of age.
* Dogs should be tested on a regular basis, yearly
if any doses of preventative have been missed
and once every 2-3 years even if no doses were
missed and preventative is given year around.
* In the cat, the presence of Heartworm is difficult
to detect with a blood test alone. Preventative
medication is often started without testing unless
signs of a Heartworm infection are noticed.
* In cats, one worm can cause sudden death or
sudden (acute) respiratory signs that are indistinguishable
from asthma without a medical work up.
* Any area where dogs can get Heartworm, cats
can get them as well. The current rate of diagnosis
ranges from 5 to 20% that of dogs in the same
area.
* The rate of cat Heartworm diagnosis varies by
geographic area. As veterinarians continue to
improve diagnostic techniques in cats, it is suspected
there will be less variation from the canine incidence
rate in the same area (5-20%). Until the last
few years, it was thought that feline Heartworm
disease was so rare that prevention was not
needed in cats.
* This view is changing as we learn that many
cat Heartworm infections are overlooked since
feline Heartworm disease does not commonly present
with the same symptoms as dogs and the signs and
symptoms look and act like other cat diseases.
* The detection of adult Heartworms in cats can
be difficult and tests are
not 100% reliable.
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____________The
pup stops here! 
