Heartworm Prevention and Treatment at Willow Glen Pet Hospital
Pets are part of the family. If you’re a pet owner, you’ll want to make sure your pet is receiving a high standard of medical care. At Willow Glen Pet Hospital, we provide pets with top-notch care in a safe, clean environment. We are proud to serve San Jose, CA, and the surrounding area. Our services include:
- Vaccination
- Dental care
- Surgery
- Laboratory services
- Pharmacy services
- Emergency services
What Is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in pets in the United States and many other parts of the world. It is caused by foot-long parasitic worms that live in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels of affected pets. The parasite can cause lung disease, heart failure, and damage to other organs in the body. Heartworm disease affects dogs, cats, and ferrets. The parasites are spread through mosquito bites.
Dogs are the natural hosts for heartworms, meaning the parasites mature into full adults causing the most severe symptoms. If left untreated, some dogs have been known to host several hundred worms in their bodies. For these reasons, heartworm prevention in dogs is the most important.
Though less common, cats and ferrets are also known to host heartworms. The worms are unable to grow to full size and reproduce within cats and ferrets. However, this does not mean they are safe from the disease. Both animals, especially ferrets, have smaller hearts than dogs, meaning even a single worm can be fatal.
How Can We Treat Heartworm?
We offer both preventative and rehabilitative heartworm treatment. The preventative medication comes in a few different forms, including tablets, topical applications, and injectable medications. Which route of administration is best depends on what your pet is comfortable with. Some medications prevent multiple parasites in addition to heartworms. Our veterinarian will work with you to determine the best product for your pet’s needs.
If your pet becomes infected, the resulting heartworm disease can cause lasting damage. Treating the disease by killing the adult worms in the pet’s heart can take months of treatment. Pets must be kept quiet in this treatment period, and they must avoid exercise. Preventative care is the best method of avoiding heartworm, but if your pet does become infected, we will do all in our power to treat the disease.
Heartworm Treatment in San Jose, CA
Whether you’re looking for preventative heartworm treatment, or you are worried your pet has been infected, Willow Glen Pet Hospital will address your needs. We offer a wide range of veterinary services to the Willow Glen area of San Jose, and we will work with you to provide the best treatment possible to your pet. For further information, call us at (669) 342-7472 or request an appointment online today.