Heartworm: Are you worried about it?

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

All dog owners worry about the health of their canine friend. Heartworms can be a dangerous disease they can catch. Heartworm can be transmitted from mosquitoes to dogs when the infected mosquito bites your dog and the heartworm larvae enters their body. Over time, the larvae mature and travel to the heart and lungs, where it can potentially lead to death.

With ProHeart 6, pet owners should have nothing to worry about.

A single injection by your veterinarian is all you need to protect your dog for six continuous months. This medication is proven safe in dos or varying sizes and breeds.

ProHeart 6 should be used, with caution, in dogs with pre-existing allergic disease, including previous vaccine reactions, food allergy, atopy, and flea allergy dermatitis. Dogs should be tested for heartworm disease prior to being treated with ProHeart 6. If your dog tests positive for adult heartworms, your veterinarian should treat the infection with the appropriate medication before administering ProHeart 6.

There are some possible side effects to using this medication. They range from lethargy, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, pale/bleeding gums, and in some cases, may cause death. There could also be severe allergic reactions that could occur, like facial swelling, itching, difficulty breathing and possibly your dog collapsing. Be sure to keep a close eye on them for 24 hours after they have received this medication because any of the above mentioned signs could show that your dog is having a severe allergic reaction.

If you have any questions regarding this medication and want to get your dog checked for heartworm disease, please give us a call at one of our Bregman Vet Hospitals so we can see your pet right away and give them a thorough check up.

Be Sure To Get Your Rabies Vaccinations!

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

In one of the worst rabies outbreaks in Carlsbad, New Mexico’s history, over a three month period from the end of 2011 to the beginning of 2012, 32 dogs, one cat and 10 sheep had to be euthanized because they were exposed to a rabid fox. Tests also showed that 22 skunks in the area were infected with rabies.

All of this seems to be due to people not getting their pets and livestock their rabies vaccinations. Twelve other people in the Carlsbad area had to go through post-exposure prophylaxis even though no one was directly exposed to rabid wildlife.

In one example, an unvaccinated dog came down with rabies and the entire family – all eight people – needed to get expensive, post-exposure prophylaxis according to Dr. Paul Ettestad, New Mexico’s state public health veterinarian (http://goo.gl/1neiO).

Rabies vaccinations are very inexpensive, and although some people have been going through the economic downturn, if you own a pet, you should be able to afford to have your pet vaccinated. If not, the chances of pets getting rabies is very high and could cost you more in the long run.

If you need to have your pet vaccinated for rabies or any other diseases, give us a call at one of the Bregman Vet Hospitals and we can help you get that taken care of.