Heartworm Testing
Heartworms are parasites that are passed to healthy dogs and cats by mosquitos that have already bitten infected animals. Without treatment, heartworms will seriously affect your pet’s cardiovascular health and can be life-threatening. Hutchinson Veterinary Clinic provides annual testing and preventative treatments quickly, efficiently, and cost effectively to pet owners in Amite, Roseland, Loranger, Independence, Greensburg, and Montpelier, Louisiana.
Mosquitoes and heartworms are prevalent in warm climates with stable sources of water which means that southeast Louisiana is a prime breeding ground. If your indoor or outdoor pets are left unprotected from heartworms, they can become infected.
Heartworms enter the bloodstream and settle in the heart chambers where they mature. Once grown, they can spread to the great arteries of the body and affect your pet's cardiovascular health. Annual testing is important because there are few, if any, early signs of heartworm disease in dogs and cats.
At Hutchinson Veterinary Clinic, we recommend scheduling an annual test to ensure your pet is heartworm free. If your dog’s test results come back negative, then our veterinarian will start him or her on a preventive treatment that you will need to administer year-round for the rest of the animal’s life. These preventive medications come in several forms, including topical applications, injectables, pills, and tasty treats.
If your dog tests positive, there is a treatment for it, however it is a lengthy and costly one. Your pet will need to be kept calm for 30 days in order to avoid putting stress on the heart and lungs.
Cats should be put on a preventive treatment and tested as recommended by our veterinarian. Cats are not a natural host for heartworms however, just a few can make a cat very ill. Prevention in cats is critical because there is no approved drug treatment for heartworm infection in cats. If your cat tests positive for heartworms, he or she can be helped with good veterinary care and a long-term management plan.
Schedule an appointment today for your pet’s heartworm test. Annual testing and preventative care are always less expensive and more effective than treatment after a disease state has begun.