Posts in Category: Fleas–Ticks–Heartworm

With mosquito season in full swing, it’s more important than ever to make sure your pet doesn’t have heartworm disease. Heartworm prevention medication is the best way to keep the worms from making a home in your pet’s body. 

But before you start heartworm treatment, your veterinarian will want to make sure your pet doesn’t already have heartworms. This is because while heartworm medication kills heartworm larvae, it doesn’t kill adult heartworms. 

A round of heartworm testing can tell your veterinary team whether your pup or kitty needs preventive medication or active treatment. 

Here’s what the team at Bowman Veterinary Hospital wants you to know about how heartworm testing works. 

Ah, spring. There’s nothing like it. From the smell of dirt as you dig in your garden to the sight of new grass and leaves when you walk your dog, there’s a lot to love about this season. Unfortunately for our pets, fleas, ticks, and the mosquitos that carry heartworm larvae also love springtime. 

As pet owners, keeping our furry friends healthy is a top priority. At Bowman Veterinary Hospital, we understand the importance of year-round flea and tick prevention. It’s not just a warm-weather concern but a 365-day commitment. This blog post will talk about the need for continuous defense against pet parasites in all seasons.

It’s tick season in California. Ticks and mosquitoes and other hungry insects that feed on blood are looking for your pets. 

Once they’ve found a host, they can transmit bacterial diseases through their bites. The western black-legged tick transmits Lyme disease. There are many other types of ticks that can cause serious health conditions from infection.

While you’re out for walks on trails and in fields or even on the beach, ticks will crawl or jump onto your pet. Tall grasses and low bushes may be teeming with ticks, just waiting for your dog to walk by. 

Fleas are a nuisance that no pet owner wants to experience. Not only is a flea bite painful to our furry friends, but flea saliva will also irritate skin. If you see your pet scratching more than usual, fleas are the usual suspects. Bowman Veterinary Hospital is here to help you spot fleas and get rid of them quickly.

How Did My Pet Get Fleas?

If you only have one pet in the house and it has fleas, where did the fleas come from? If your animal is outside, you can be sure that another fur-bearing animal left fleas in its path. Fleas can be living in shadier areas of your lawn. A flea can also jump up to 12 inches, so if they’re in the yard, they’ll leap on your pets to grab a meal.  

Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes. While this fact doesn’t endear anyone to them, mosquitoes are just doing what’s in their nature—sucking blood. They don’t discriminate and, in fact, perceive every mammal as a potential meal. The problem is, mosquitoes pick up microscopic heartworm larvae from various fur-covered prey, and subsequently deposit the worms into the bloodstream of their next victim. Staying on top of prevention is an absolute must, but heartworm testing is equally important. Why?