Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis. The disease primarily affects dogs, cats and ferrets. It is transmitted by mosquitoes infected with heartworm larvae. Fortunately, heartworm disease is easy to prevent.
In this article, we are happy to shed light on some of the easy ways that will help you stay on top of heartworm prevention.
1. Make The Family Member Closest To The Pet Responsible
If you have a pet dog or a cat, one thing that you cannot compromise on is administering heartworm prevention. The best way to keep things organized is by making one of the family members responsible for this. This will avoid any sort of confusion and lead to effective prevention of the deadly infection.
2. Administer The Preventive Treatment The Same Day Every Month
According to vets, heartworm preventives should be offered to pets on the same day every month. This will help maintain uniformity and reduce the chances of missing a dosage.
3. Set Up A Text Reminder To Remain On Your Toes
If you have multiple pets at home, you might forget to administer heartworm preventives on the scheduled date. Setting up a text reminder on your mobile device will help you keep track of it.
4. Make The Same Schedule For All Your Pets
If you have multiple pets, keeping the same schedule to offer heartworm preventives will make the work easier and less tiresome and minimize the chances of missing a dosage.
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5. Offer The Preventives At The Same Time Of Day
Medical professionals have concluded that there should be uniformity in administering treatments to pets. Therefore, whenever you’re offering a preventive, make sure to do it at the same time of the day. This will help you achieve optimum results.
6. Make Sure To Go For Refill Appointments
Always remember to procure treatments before you run out of them. If the heartworm preventive you are offering is a prescribed product, make sure to get an appointment with your vet way in advance so that you have enough time to purchase it.
7. Set Up Automatic Refills Of Your Treatments
If you know your pet will need the same treatment for the coming few months, you can opt for automatic delivery from an online store. This will help you get the treatments in the comfort of your home without having to order them every single time.
8. Schedule E-mail Reminders As A Precaution
If you don’t get to set up an auto order in advance, scheduling an e-mail reminder is a fairly good option. It will remind you when to buy or order your treatments and won’t let you run out of them.
9. Offer Preventives All Year Round
Never take heartworms lightly as they pose a threat to your beloved pet’s life. Therefore, heartworm preventives should be offered to your furry friends all year round. You may get in touch with your vet to find out which preventive suits your pet.
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10. Choose A Preventive That Your Pet Will Readily Accept
While choosing a heartworm preventive, always go for the one that is easy to administer. There are treatments available in the market that have enticing flavors. This will make your job easy and your pet will have the preventive happily.
Concluding Note
Adopting a pet comes with great responsibilities. Keeping them safe from worms and parasites is the key to their good health and happiness. We hope that our comprehensive guide will help you maintain your pet’s health. For expert advice, you can always seek the help of your veterinarian.
