Parasites - Preventative Measures Against Heartworms Articles | Dog and Puppies

By: Jeremy C.W

Heartworms, which are considered to be internal parasites, can be more disastrous to your dog's health than outside parasites, such as ticks and fleas.  This is especially true for young puppies who are more susceptible to negative health conditions. A puppy's physical developing process can be interrupted from heartworms. And important nutrients from the food a puppy eats can be absorbed by heartworms, instead of being utilized by the dog's system for growth and good health.

Another important concern to worry about when it comes to these types of worms is if you have children.  You should take the extra precaution necessary because certain types of parasites that are found inside puppies and dogs can be transmitted to your kids. As a good rule of thumb, always walk your dog or puppy through clean areas outside and do not let him sniff at any dog poop that is laying around as this can cause transmission of parasites.

Preventing Heartworms

Heartworms are nasty little creatures and are transmitted by insects such as mosquitoes.  This means that there is more of a danger of heartworms during hotter climates with high levels of humidity. Heartworms make their home within the confines of the heart and lungs of an animal.  If this parasitic condition goes unnoticed by a dog owner, the little puppy or adult dog can die.

As you can clearly understand by now, it is better to take preventative measures against heartworms rather than discover them after they have already infested your dog.  Fortunately, preventative action against heartworms is a very simple procedure.  Below are two options that you can choose from:

1. You can supply your dog with a daily pill that will prevent heartworms. Your veterinarian can prescribe your dog with a daily heartworm-fighting pill that comes in the form of hard tablets or chewable tablets which are made for easier ingestion. The only downside of this preventative tablet form is that you must feed it to your dog every day without fail. And the medication is not as strong as the once per month tablet, which is described next.

2. Your second option, which is a bit more expensive than the daily tablet, is to give your dog a heartworm pill only once per month.  Your veterinarian can offer you this monthly heartworm tablet to feed your dog which is a lot easier to maintain than trying to keep up with medication everyday. The vet will prescribe the spill based on how much your dog weighs.