Heartworms are small flatworms that look like a piece of string. Mosquitoes carry them, and if your dog is exposed to them, the heartworms will move to live in their heart and the big blood vessels around the heart. The best way to treat heartworms is to prevent your dog from getting heartworms in the first place. There are oral, topical, and injectable methods to administer medication that will kill any heartworms and keep more from infesting your dog. You need to make sure that you are giving your dog preventative medication on a regular basis. How long you should go between treatments depends on what kind of treatment meds they have gotten in the past. Before you give your pet any treatment to fight heartworms, you need to know the signs that they may have a heartworm infestation.

Inactivity

One big sign that your dog may have heartworms is that they would prefer to be inactive or even lazy. The reason that your dog would prefer to be inactive is that it can be hard for them to breathe because the heartworms are choking out their heart and the big vessels around their heart, including the ones that lead to their lungs. In advanced cases, your dog will retain a lot of water. That water tends to stay in their bellies, taking up much space. There just isn't enough space for your dog to breathe, and all that water is heavy and can make your dog feel more tired than you might think they should be.

Dry Persistent Cough

This kind of cough does not sound wet and juicy. It is a non-productive kind of cough. It isn't generally as loud as a more productive cough would be. The cough won't go away no matter what you seem to do to treat it. While the cough isn't contagious for other illnesses, you might still be worried about whether or not you should isolate your pet away from every other animal. There is a small chance that your dog may cough up some of the heartworms. Even if that happens, the heartworms aren't contagious to anyone that way.

You love your dog. You want to ensure they stay healthy and happy as long as possible. The easiest way to accomplish that is to use preventative measures like a topical medication you apply to the back of the dog's neck. Talk to your vet about heartworm medication that they may sell. If you buy through your vet, you can be reassured by the fact that your vet will send you the best medication possible. 

For more information about heartworm tablets, contact a local company. 

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