Why It’s Important to Keep Up with Your Dog’s Heartworm Prevention

If you have a dog, you’ve probably already heard about heartworm prevention. But why is it so important to keep up with heartworm prevention, even for dogs who spend most of their time indoors? What are the benefits associated with heartworm prevention in dogs?

In the article below, we’ll help you learn more about why your dog needs to stay up to date on heartworm preventative medication. With the help of this information, you can better understand just what makes this type of medication so important in the life of your pet.

Eliminate the Risk of Heartworms

The first and most obvious way heartworm preventative medication helps your pet is by removing the risk of heartworms. Heartworm disease is a serious problem for dogs and is extremely common in dogs who are untreated for this condition. Although it can be managed, doing so is costly and the condition is progressive, meaning most dogs will eventually die from it or from related complications.

When you keep your dog on a regular monthly heartworm pill, you can make sure they will never have to suffer with this type of disease. Your veterinarian can help you choose the right pill for your pet’s needs.

Help Your Dog Breathe Better

Heartworm disease contributes to poor breathing and poor circulation both in affected dogs. By protecting your dog from heartworms, you can help them breathe better and ensure that their whole body stays healthier at the same time.

Dogs who breathe more easily are less susceptible to serious respiratory infections and are more likely to stay healthy and active, too. Additionally, these dogs may have better circulation that prevents the risk of frostbite in cold weather and helps reduce pain associated with arthritis, too. Overall, preventing heartworm disease has many extra benefits for the health and wellness of your pet.

Encourage Better Mobility and Exercise

Dogs who have heartworm disease are unable to exercise, play, or move around very much without triggering a severe cough associated with the condition. These dogs also have difficulty breathing, which further prevents them from exercising. In turn, they may become obese and could develop diabetes as a result of this lack of mobility too.

You can help your dog stay mobile and active by keeping them up to date on her heartworm medicine. When your dog is safe from heartworm disease, they will be able to exercise and stay active throughout life without these risks.

Help Your Dog Live Longer

Without the risk of heartworm disease, there is a good chance your dog will live longer than they might otherwise. If your dog contracts heartworm disease, this condition can significantly shorten their expected lifespan.

By protecting your pet against heartworm disease, you can help them live a longer, happier, healthier life without this very common risk in canine health.

Reduce the Spread of Heartworms to Other Dogs

Heartworms are not contagious from one dog to another. However, if one dog in a household contracts heartworms and other pets in the same household are not on a preventative, then there is an increased risk that the condition could be spread more easily between them. This is simply because mosquitoes that bite the infected dog will be more likely to bite healthy dogs in the same household.

By keeping all your dogs up to date on heartworm prevention medication, you can reduce the spread of heartworm disease. Your dog will not be a carrier and will not risk infecting other dogs in the general vicinity with this condition either.

Reduce the Cost of Expensive Vet Treatment and Care

If your dog is diagnosed with heartworm disease, you will have to follow up with extensive vet care, management, and treatment solutions. And if you choose to have the heartworms surgically removed, this is a very costly endeavor as well. Any type of treatment or management for heartworms may cost a lot of money over time.

However, by keeping up with monthly heartworm preventatives, you can save a lot of money on these potential vet bills. Your dog will not need as much extensive vet care and will therefore not run up as much of a bill at the vet either.

In Conclusion

Based on this quick guide, you should be able to understand the necessity of heartworm prevention for your dog. With this information, you can more easily recognize when and why your dog needs to be given a heartworm preventative.

If you have any further questions or concerns about medicating your dog against heartworms or any other preventative medicine, talk to your Kryder + Harr Veterinary Clinic vet by calling (574) 277-6533 for more information. Your vet can help you recognize any potential risks for your dog and help you make the right decision about whether to keep up with heartworm medication for your specific pet’s individual needs, too.