Heartworms have been diagnosed in all fifty states according to the American Heartworm Society, and are especially prevalent in the Mobile, Alabama area. Heartworms are transmitted from one infected animal to another through the bite of a mosquito, and can infect both dogs and cats.
The doctors at Bel Air Animal Hospital can perform accurate testing to determine your dog’s heartworm status while you wait. A blood test that identifies an antigen produced by heartworms can tell our doctors right away if your dog is heartworm positive. If your dog is identified as heartworm positive, there is good news in that an effective treatment is available. Your dog can be treated with a drug that will kill the adult heartworms that have infected your dog. This treatment is generally safe and the outcome is normally very favorable for an infected dog. For our feline friends, heartworm prevention is the only option available, as there is currently no treatment for heartworm disease in cats.
The best and most effective way to deal with heartworms is to prevent them. Bel Air Animal Hospital has several heartworm preventative options including topical solutions that can be applied to the back of your dog or cat’s neck. Oral and injectable heartworm preventatives that are for dogs only are also available at Bel Air. One of our knowledgeable veterinarians can advise you about the best heartworm preventative for the life of your pet.
Call Bel Air Animal Hospital to have your furry family member tested for heartworm disease. Please remember that prevention is always less expensive and more effective than treatment of heartworm disease!