15 Jul Say no to heartworm with Southern Cross Vet this August!
Deal for puppies:
- A FREE Heartworm Prevention Injection for your puppy under 16 weeks (about 3 and a half months) old – valued at over $100 depending on their size.
Deal for adult dogs:
- A FREE De-worming for your adult dog (or any dog older than 16 weeks) when they receive an annual heartworm injection
Offer only valid for clients booking an appointment in August!
Are you aware that heartworms can be seriously dangerous for dogs? Once your dog is infected with heartworms, they might not be treatable and are exposed to serious, life-threatening risks. Before we proceed further, let’s explore some of the following key areas of concern.
What is heartworm, and how does it affect your dogs?
Heartworm is a serious parasitic disease spread by mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it picks up larvae that mature into adult worms in the dog’s heart and major blood vessels. These worms, growing up to 30cm (almost a foot!) long, can cause heart failure, lung damage, and can even be fatal.
Is Heartworm a risk in Sydney?
Heartworms are becoming more and more prevalent with each passing year. Sydney has now become a hotspot for heartworms, and it is therefore essential to keep our dogs safeguarded against heartworm infections.
What are the signs of heartworm?
Symptoms of heartworm disease range from vague signs to serious life-threatening signs of illness:
- Coughing
- Exercise intolerance
- Weakness
- Collapse, pale gums and breathing difficulties
- Sudden death
The only way to know for sure if your pet has heartworm is to do a blood test to verify if they have heartworms.
Since many pets show little to no signs of infection, we highly recommend you get the test done even if you don’t suspect that your pet is infected. In certain rare cases, pets on monthly chews have also been infected with heartworms. So, it’s always a good idea to get your pets tested just to be sure.
Call us at 1300 DOC SAM (1300 362 726) if you would like us to test your dog for heartworms.
What are the prevention options available?
There are 2 heartworm preventives available in the market today. One is chewable and the other is injectable.
- Chewable Pill or Tablet
Chewable Heartworm Preventives are pills or tablets you give to your dogs every month. The oral heartworm medication contains an active ingredient: ivermectin or milbemycin.
You must ensure your dog chews the entire tablet and does not spit any of it. If so, the effectiveness of the pill will be lessened.
Additionally, some brands stipulate that you may have to give them every 28 days instead of every month.
Furthermore, there is widespread resistance developing to the main class of drugs in the monthly tablets
- Injectable, convenient, ONCE-A-YEAR* Shot – and it’s done!
Aside from the chewable monthly heartworm preventive, a once-a-year injectable shot is also available.
This injectable has an active ingredient called moxidectin. Other than heartworm larvae, this shot also targets hookworms.
Our Recommendation?
Our veterinarians and nurses highly recommend the Injectable, ONCE-A-YEAR* shot!
Here are some reasons why:
- Active Ingredient: Moxidectin
Moxidectin is highly potent against heartworm and has a long life. This means it can effectively kill heartworms and provide prevention for a longer time. Additionally, moxidectin is renowned for having an excellent safety profile, and has been used for over 20 years.
- Only needs to be given ONCE-A-YEAR*
Unlike the monthly tablet, the injectable needs to be given once every year, only. This means that your pet has all-year protection against heartworms. If you miss a single dose of a monthly chewable even by a day, your dog is vulnerable to heartworms for that day. Once your pet gets the yearly injection, you do not have to worry for 365 days! You can always pair it up with your annual visit to the vet for convenience.
- Elimination of Hookworms
Other than just heartworms, the ONCE-A-YEAR* injectable kills hookworms (a gut parasite causing diarrhoea and other illness) as well. This is a good thing as your dog is protected from other parasites on top of heartworm.
So, call us at 1300 DOC SAM (i.e., 1300 362 726) or visit https://taplink.cc/southerncrossvet to schedule your FREE appointment now. Remember, your puppy is entitled to a free injectable and any dogs older than 16 weeks are entitled to free a deworming tablet! Do also feel free to ask your vet as many questions as needed about heartworms when you come in for the appointment. We would be happy to help!
**Please note: Puppies need a booster shot after 3-6 months of the first injection (around 6 months of age). Thereafter, the injection is annual and needs to be given ONCE-A-YEAR only.