Bully Sticks For Dogs is celebrating the spring time! The warm sun, fresh cut grass & flowers in bloom make you want to spend lots of time outdoors with your pup. However, spring time also brings along nasty pests that can be harmful to your furry best friend.
Mosquitoes are one pest in particular that dogs need protection from because they carry larvae, which can infect dogs with heartworms. April is Heartworm Awareness month, so we want to explain the steps to keep your pet heartworm free this spring and from now on!
1. Talk with your vet
Talking with your vet about how to prevent heartworms is the first step in protecting your dog. Your vet will help you get the right medication and form of medication that will be best for your dog. They will proscribe one of three different types of heartworm medication: oral, topical or injectable. They each have pro’s and con’s.
Oral heartworm medication usually treat other internal parasites such as roundworm, hookworm and whipworms. This type of medication is usually given in a monthly chewable tablet pill. The downside to this type of medication is that your dog may not take the pill very easily and might not ingest the entire pill, which is imperative or else the medication loses potency. The help of a pill pocket peanut butter or coaxing agent might help in this situation.
Topical heartworm medication is applied by way of a small tube to the back and neck of your dog. Like the oral preventative, this is usually a monthly treatment. This medication might also have the added benefit of preventing fleas as well. Some of these medications will, like the oral pill, will protect against roundworm, hookworm,whipworm and also ear mites. The con to this sort of treatment might be that your dog doesn’t like the feeling of the liquid on their back and will rub against the carpet or furniture.
Injectable heartworm medication can be administered to your dog by your vet and is good for every six months.
2. Be consistent with medication
Once you have figured out which heartworm treatment will be best for your dog,it is extremely important that you stay consistent. For example, if you decide to do the oral preventative, set a reminder on your phone so you will always give Fido his pill on the same day.
3. Use the preventative all year!
Although it’s true that mosquitoes are only around during the warmer months, vet’s have recently advised to give your pup a heartworm treatment all year round.
4. Storage of medication
It’s important to store your heartworm medications out of the reach of children or your dog. Proper storage and handling will protect from any unwanted ingestion.
5. Schedule your annual vet visit
We can’t stress enough just how important your dog’s annual check up is. Not only will you be up to date on any changes in your dog’s overall health, but you can get your heartworm medication renewed as well as get a heartworm screen.
It’s important to note that preventative heartworm medication works to clear the blood stream of any larval worms while they are still in the early stages of development and have not yet attached themselves to your dog’s body tissue. If you think your dog has contracted heartworms, notify your vet immediately. Preventative heartworm treatment will not help at this point.
We hope we’ve been helpful and you’ve learned something you might not have otherwise known about heartworm prevention!
