Top Tips To Prevent Heartworm Disease In Dogs

The heartworm prevention in dogs is usually easy to spot, since it is characterized by clinical signs such as diarrhea, vomiting, increased appetite, increased urination, and at times, even death. However, signs of heartworm infection may also be associated with other diseases so you must be sure if you suspect heartworms or another ailment. Once your dog has heartworm, treatment is the next step to prevent further spread of the disease. This step requires prompt treatment, even before the disease is cured.

Although heartworms are highly transmissible to humans, they are not fatal. They can however cause a wide range of symptoms which are highly similar to common illnesses like diarrhea. However, heartworms carry much more risk for your dog's health and there are some things you need to know when dealing with the risk of heartworm infections. Heartworm infections can be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and heartworms themselves. Since heartworms are transmittable through blood, heartworm infections can spread through contact.

Since many heartworms are caused by parasites with a host range of life cycle, they can spread to even animals and children if the proper steps are not taken to prevent the spreading. Some of the important steps include administering heartworm medicine regularly to your dogs, knowing the signs of heartworm infections, deworming your pets, avoiding risky situations where your pets can come in contact with mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, and keeping your pets away from ticks. The signs of heartworm infection can easily be detected since they are common to any dog's behavioral changes and can include lethargy, decrease in activity, weight loss, lameness, depression, loss of appetite and frequent vomiting, difficulty in breathing, swollen legs, and joints, and constant licking of the body. Some other common symptoms include blood in the stool, swelling around the groin area, and dark urine.

To prevent Heartgard worms, a monthly dose of Heartgard plus chewables keeps them safe and healthy.