Protect Your Pet's Health with Preventive Care
Preventive care stands as the cornerstone in ensuring your beloved pet's lasting health and happiness. At Pets Ahoy Animal Hospital in Macomb, MI, we provide a comprehensive array of preventive services meticulously crafted to detect and avert potential health issues before they escalate.
Flea Prevention and Control
Fleas can cause problems for pets ranging from minor to life-threatening. Not only can these parasites cause severe itching, irritation, and allergies, but they can also transmit tapeworms and diseases. Fleas can infest dogs, cats, ferrets, mice, and rats. And fleas don’t just stay on pets; they can bite people, too. For more information, contact us or see the flea article in the Pet Health Library on our site.
Protect your pet and your home from these blood-sucking parasites. Whether you're looking to prevent an infestation or seeking guidance on eliminating existing ones, we're here to assist you. Contact us today to learn more about flea control and prevention options for your pet.
Heartworm Prevention
When they bite, mosquitoes can transmit heartworm infection. And those heartworms can wreak havoc on your dog or cat. These parasites can severely and sometimes fatally damage the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Some pets may not show any signs of infection; in those that do, symptoms can vary widely.
In dogs, signs of heartworm disease can range from coughing, fatigue, and weight loss to difficulty breathing and a swollen abdomen (caused by fluid accumulation from heart failure). Canine heartworm infection can also lead to a life-threatening complication called “caval syndrome” (a form of liver failure); without prompt surgical intervention, this condition usually causes death.
Although often thought to not be susceptible to heartworm infection, cats can indeed get heartworms. Cats can suffer from a syndrome referred to as heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD); the symptoms can be subtle and may mimic those of asthma or allergic bronchitis. Signs of respiratory distress, such as rapid or difficult breathing, wheezing, and panting, are common. Other symptoms include coughing, vomiting (typically unrelated to eating), and loss of appetite or weight. Heartworm infection is more difficult to diagnose in cats than it is in dogs.
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Treatment for heartworm infection is far more expensive than prevention—and it can actually kill your dog. There is no approved treatment for cats. Some cats spontaneously rid themselves of the infection; others might not survive it. And even one or two adult heartworms in a cat can cause serious problems.
Fortunately, there’s a way to keep your dog or cat safe: by administering monthly heartworm preventives. Most heartworm medications also protect your pet against other parasites, such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, ear mites, fleas, and ticks. We can recommend a regimen of prevention for your pet.
Tick Prevention
The prevalence of ticks in North America is on the rise, with these parasites now being encountered in areas where they were previously uncommon. Beyond being a nuisance, ticks can transmit serious and potentially fatal diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and tick paralysis.
Protect your pet from ticks by implementing a tick preventive regimen. Even indoor pets are at risk as ticks can hitch a ride inside on clothing or shoes. Tick preventives are both safe and effective in controlling ticks and the diseases they carry. Contact us today to initiate protection for your pet.
In the event of finding a tick on your pet, remain calm, especially if your pet is already on preventive medication. Certain preventives are designed to kill ticks upon contact with your pet. Since ticks can conceal themselves under your pet's fur, we recommend thoroughly checking your pet for ticks each time they return indoors. Should you have any queries or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to us for guidance.
