Tom Dock: Tips for keeping your pets safe from heartworm

Tom Dock, certified veterinary journalist with Noah’s Animal Hospitals, joined News 8’s Gina Glaros to discuss ways to manage your pet’s health – especially when it comes to heartworm.

More than 1 million dogs across the country may be suffering from a deadly but entirely preventable disease — and the solution costs far less than the alternative.

Dock says when it comes to managing your pet’s health – don’t skip the preventative. Dock urges pet owners to keep their dogs and cats on year-round heartworm prevention medication.

Unlike intestinal parasites, heartworms live in a pet’s heart and lungs. They can grow to about 1 foot long, and an infected dog can carry 30 to 50 of them at a time. The worms can survive inside a host for six to seven years.

Heartworms are transmitted through mosquito bites, making warm-weather months a particularly high-risk period — though Dock stressed that prevention should never stop when temperatures drop.

Dock talks about the different medications you can give your pet and the signs and symptoms of heartworm. He also discusses flea and tick prevention.

Find out more by watching the video!

#HeartwormPrevention #NoahsAnimalHospitals #Yourpetshealth