Countryside Animal Hospital - Veterinarian In Alachua, FL USA

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Heartworm Prevention

Heartworm has been diagnosed in dogs in all 50 states. Studies have shown that nearly 90% of unprotected dogs will become infected with heartworm disease at some point throughout their lifetime. Heartworms, Dirofilaria immitis, are transmitted by mosquitoes. The mosquito injects a microscopic larvae which grows into an adult worm six to eighteen inches long inside the heart of the affected dog.

Heartworms can cause severe symptoms such as congestive heart failure, weight loss, fluid build up in the abdomen, fainting spells, anemia, collapse, and death.

Luckily we have several excellent medications that can prevent heartworms if given as directed. We carry oral medications which need to be given monthly and also help protect against most intestinal parasites, including hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. For dogs, we carry oral Interceptor and Sentinel. For cats, we carry oral Interceptor and topical Revolution. Sentinel is also a flea birth control, but not recommended for households with an existing flea infestation. Revolution is also a flea and ear mite preventative, but is only carried for cats. It is much cheaper to keep your dogs on monthly heartworm preventative than it is to treat heartworm disease. Unfortunately, some dogs have complications from heartworm treatment as well. Due to increased accuracy in testing cats for heartworms, there has been a significant increase in the number of heartworm infected cats over the last decade. Unfortunately, there is no current treatment for heartworms in cats at this time, and many vets have begun recommending heartworm prevention for cats as well.

www.interceptor.novartis.us

www.sentinelheartworm.com

www.revolutionpet.com

Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas are another annoying pest that can carry health problems to your pets as well as transform your humble abode into an all-out flea warzone. Understanding how a flea's life cycle works can help you understand how to fully rid them of your pets and home. There are four stages to the flea life cycle. Eggs are laid by an adult female flea which is on a host. The eggs roll off into the environment and after a few days they mature into larvae. Larvae survive by eating flea feces, flea egg shells, organic debris, and other flea larvae. They can crawl and move as far as six inches per day. After a few days, and once conditions are conducive, larvae mature into pupae. Pupae have very thick shells and are very resistant to environmental conditions. After a few days, and once the pupae detect a host is present, they mature into adult fleas that hop on another host.

There are many types of flea treatments. Unfortunately, there is no one drug or chemical that can kill all four stages of the flea. There are several types of good products to kill adult fleas: Frontline, Advantage, Advantix, Comfortis, Capstar, Promeris, and Revolution. Sentinel is a heartworm, hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm preventative that is also a flea "birth control". This product is not recommended for homes with an existing flea problem. Frontline, Advantix, and Promeris are the only flea preventatives that also kill ticks. Advantix and Promeris are for dogs only, and recommend caution when using in households with cats. Capstar is a 24 hour flea control that begins killing fleas within 15 minutes of ingestion. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the products, feel free to ask for advice on the best preventative for your pets.

Fleas should be treated monthly, as they can carry several diseases: tapeworms, Cat scratch disease (Bartonella), murine typhus, and the bubonic plague. Also fleas are the number one allergen of dogs and cats and can cause severe skin disease.

Your veterinarian can help you with a flea control program depending on what kind of pets you have and the level of flea infestation. Control may involve treating the environment as well as the pets. We carry yard and house spray, as well. Countryside Animal Hospital is your one-stop shop for flea and tick preventative for your dogs, cats, and home.