Happy Valentines day, we heart your Family (4 tmrw)

We Heart <3 your Family

Seriously, beyond the uber-commercial aspect of Valentines Day, we want to send you our love and information regarding heart disease in the "extended" family.
Below is some info pon both a preventable heart disease, HEARTWORM and also a very managebale one, heart failure.
Anyone who has had a pet with heartworm infection knows the difficulty and sickness involved, remember prevention is better than cure. If you are a tad forgetful, the Yearly Proheart injection is ideal.

Heartworm Disease

One heart condition that we can prevent is Heartworm.

Heartworm is a parasitic disease that affects dogs and, less commonly, other species such as cats. It is spread by mosquitos that pass immature Heartworm larvae into the dog’s blood. Adult heartworms live in the major vessels of the heart restricting blood flow and increasing stress on the heart. Other organs may also be affected by Heartworm infestation. Ultimately, Heartworm Disease can be fatal.

Luckily prevention is available, in a convenient once-a-year injection that can tie in with your pet’s annual PetCheck and C5 vaccination. Alternatively, more frequent tablets or a spot-on treatment is available if this suits your lifestyle. If your dog has not previously been treated for Heartworm, a blood test to ensure they are not carrying the parasite is needed before the start of preventative therapy.

Heartworm is different to Intestinal Worms that infest your pet’s gastrointestinal system. While monthly tablets may cover both Heartworm and Intestinal worms, pets receiving the yearly Heartworm vaccine still need to receive intestinal worm tablets every 3 months. An easy way to remember these is to give them at the change of each season.

Heart Failure in dogs and cats

Heart disease is common in pets, especially aged dogs and cats. It presents in many forms, and ranges from mild signs to life-threatening disease. Heart disease may be due to congenital (present at birth) abnormalities, or changes to the heart muscle and surrounding vessels as a result of multiple contributing factors including age, breed, infection, diet, obesity and more.
Despite every effort at maintaining a healthy best friend with correct diet, sufficient exercise and regular check ups, unfortunately heart disease still sometimes occurs. Developing signs that may suggest heart disease include

• A cough
• Breathing difficulties
• Getting tired more easily after walks, or not as keen to exercise
• Falling over or fainting
• A swollen abdomen (belly)

Regular Pet Checks is the best way to diagnose a heart problem early, before these signs become severe.