Daily walks, special foods, visits to the veterinarian, flea medication, lots of cuddles, and love. As a pet owner, you do a lot for your animals, but there is one important treatment you may be missing: heartworm medication. The veterinarians at Waipio Pet Clinic in Waipahu, HI, have treated many cases of heartworm. They know the disease is easy to prevent and tough to treat, and they’re here with some tips to help you protect your dog or cat’s health:

• What Is Heartworm Disease? Heartworms are foot long worms living in an animal’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Mosquitos carry the disease and can infect your pet with heartworm larvae in a single bite. Left untreated, the worms grow and multiply and can cause heart failure, severe lung disease and damage many of the major organs in the body. Heartworm can affect dogs, cats, ferrets, and other mammals, including foxes and coyotes. Veterinarians in all 50 states have reported cases of heartworm, so even if there aren’t a lot of mosquitos near your home, you still need to protect your pets.

• How Can I Tell If My Pet Has Heartworm? Symptoms of heartworm in both cats and dogs include mild coughing, fatigue, decreased appetite, and weight loss. The symptoms can worsen as the worms grow and multiply, eventually causing death.
• Is There A Way To Prevent The Disease? Yes! Heartworm can be costly and difficult to treat, so prevention is key. Heartworm medicine is available in many different forms and is cheaper than your weekly latté. A vet can provide monthly pet medicine in the form of pills, topical medications or injections. The cost for one year is between $35 to $80 and depends on how much your pet weighs.
• My Pet Has Heartworm. How Do I Treat It? You’ll need to see a veterinarian immediately. Once you arrive at the local pet hospital, your vet will take X-rays, blood work, and may perform other tests to determine the severity of the infection. Your pet will most likely need one to three drug injections to kill all of the worms. Keep in mind there is no approved drug therapy for cats, so you'll need to speak with the vet to determine other treatment options. 

The veterinarians at Waipio Pet Clinic have years of experience treating heartworm, so if you suspect your animal is sick, it’s time to visit this caring pet hospital. Waipio Pet Clinic also provides many different types of pet medicine and animal wellness exams, preventative care, spaying and neutering services, and surgical care.

Don’t trust your dog or cat’s health to just any veterinarian. Your pet deserves the absolute best. Call Waipio Pet Clinic in Waipahu at (808) 676-2205 to make an appointment, or visit the website for a complete list of services.