In honor of National Heartworm Awareness Month, our community vet clinic is offering discounted heartworm tests and prevention for your beloved pups!
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This April, take 1/2 off heartworm tests and $10 off every six months of canine heartworm prevention at our community clinic. Additional discounts also available for cats!!
Schedule your appointment:
- Call (985) 892-7387
- Email clinic@nshumane.org
** Same day appointments available. Not valid with any other offers or discounts **
More on heartworm disease:
What is heartworm disease?
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in pets. It is caused by foot-long worms (heartworms) that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body.
How is heartworm disease transmitted from one pet to another?
Baby worms called microfilaria circulate in the bloodstream in an affected animal. When a mosquito bites and takes a blood meal from an infected animal, it picks up these baby worms, which develop and mature into “infective stage” larvae. When the infected mosquito bites another dog, cat, or susceptible wild animal, the infective larvae are deposited onto the surface of the animal's skin and enter the new host through the mosquito’s bite wound. Once inside a new host, it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms. Once mature, heartworms can live for 5 to 7 years in dogs and up to 2 or 3 years in cats.
Is heartworm disease preventable?
Yes! Heartworm prevention can be prescribed by your veterinarian and given as a pill, a spot-on topical medication or as an injection. Because heartworms must be eliminated before they reach adult stage, it is extremely important that heartworm preventives be administered strictly on schedule (monthly for oral and topical products and every 6 months for the injectable).
Is heartworm disease more common in certain areas of the US?
Heartworms have been found in all 50 states, although certain areas have a higher risk of heartworm than others. Factors affecting the level of risk of heartworm infection include the climate (temperature, humidity), presence of mosquito breeding areas, and presence of animal “reservoirs” (such as infected dogs, foxes or coyotes). In Louisiana where mosquitos are common all year round, heartworm disease is more prevalent than in other states in the US.
Learn more on heartworm disease here.