Heartgard medicine is a monthly heartworm treatment for dogs and cats. It puts an immediate stop to this nasty disease. Besides also controlling roundworms and hookworms, Heartgard Plus is 100% effective against heartworms.

Heartgard Plus treats and controls more effectively than other leading brands and is veterinarian recommended. This medication is approved for puppies and kittens as young as six weeks of age.

The parasite that the medicine controls, heartworm, is a roundworm that is spread from host to host by mosquitoes. It is a small threadlike worm, known as a filaria. The first published evidence of heartworm disease in dogs was in The Western Journal of Medicine and Surgery in 1847. At one time confined to more southern climates, it has now spread to almost all climates where its vector, the mosquito, is found.

The mosquito vector becomes a carrier of the microscopic immature form of the parasite when it bites an infected animal. Once the worms mature, they release microfilariae (next generation babies) into the bloodstream, and they mature and begin their own life cycle. The most common sign is a pulmonary condition that looks a lot like asthma, and/or chronic vomiting.

It takes about six or seven months for the larvae to mature and start producing thousands of new microfilariae inside the circulatory system. All these worms within the blood vessels produce an increased workload on the heart, along with restricted blood flow to the lungs, kidneys and liver, eventually causing multiple organ failure. One pet can easily become a carrier, a pool of contagion for the whole neighborhood.

Microfilariae may survive up to two years within the host dog in whom they are born; if after this period a mosquito has not picked them up, they die of “old age.” In order for a heartworm to reach adulthood, it must be passed through a mosquito.

The adult worms, which are up to 10 inches in length, typically live in the dog’s pulmonary artery and right side of the heart. Inflammation and thickening of the heart may result in its heart failure, respiratory insufficiency, chronic cough and vomiting. The disease can be fatal.

Heartworm disease is a source of great anxiety for pet owners. The risk of a dog contracting heartworms is directly related to geographic location. The risk is higher in heavily infested regions, and it is especially wise to use Heartgard medicine in these areas.

A yearly blood test for heartworm microfilariae is important. You can also minimize the chances of infestation by helping your dog to be healthier, and therefore less susceptible.

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