This week’s segment features Peter the 2 year old French bulldog and features our April special!! For the month of April we will be offering 10% off of our heartworm tests, Proheart 12 and Proheart 6 injections! Additionally we will be offering buy 6 get one free on our Sentinel Spectrum, Simparica Trio and Nexgard products!! Peter came to us for a wellness exam and a heartworm test was performed that showed that Peter had been diagnosed with heartworm disease. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that Mississippi is the number one state in the nation in cases of heartworm disease each year. Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition caused by parasitic worms that live in the heart and lungs. Dogs become infected when a mosquito carrying microscopic heartworm larvae (microfilariae) bites them, depositing the larvae under the skin. Over several months, these larvae grow into adult worms that can lodge in the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, causing significant damage.
The presence of heartworms can lead to coughing, exercise intolerance, fatigue, weight loss, fluid buildup, and even heart failure. The worms damage the heart valves, lungs, and arteries, and heavy infections can be fatal if left untreated. The life cycle of heartworms allows them to reproduce in the dog, releasing microfilariae into the bloodstream, which can then be picked up by mosquitoes and transmitted to other dogs.
Treatment is available but can be lengthy, costly, and carries risks, as adult heartworms are killed and the body reacts to their breakdown. Because of this, prevention is far safer and more effective than treatment. Monthly preventives or injectable options protect dogs from infection and keep their hearts and lungs healthy. With prevention, heartworm disease is almost entirely avoidable, helping dogs stay active, happy, and healthy for years to come. Thankfully Peter underwent treatment for his heartworms and is now free of the disease!!