National Heartworm Awareness Month
April is National Heartworm Awareness Month, we thought we would take the opportunity for you to meet one of our new patients, Stella.
Stella is a five year old female Labrador Retriever that was recently adopted by her new owners. She is a retired breeding dog from Tennessee. Unfortunately, Stella had not been receiving heartworm preventatives while living in Tennessee. During her initial exam at Longwood Vet we discovered she was infected with heartworms.
Heartworm disease often causes lasting damage to the heart, lungs and pulmonary arteries. Left untreated, this damage can lead to death. An untreated dog, contributes to the spread of disease to other pets.
Stella will undergo heartworm treatment here at Longwood Vet Center. Fortunately there is a treatment for dogs, however it is uncomfortable and expensive. There is no treatment for cats. Stella will receive a series of medications, both oral and intramuscular, and her activity will be restricted for 3-4 months. This is no fun for Stella or her new parents.
Stella is one lucky girl to have found a new family that would take the time and effort to make her happy and healthy.
Prevention is much better than cure in the case of Heartworm disease. Longwood Veterinary Center offers a variety of preventative choices to suit you and your pet’s needs. If remembering to give your pet the preventative on time each month is difficult, (as it is for me) consider Proheart 6- an injection that lasts six whole months. You will even receive a friendly reminder from Longwood Vet when your pet is next due! Talk to your veterinarian or veterinary nurse today!
