Tag Archives: Cats

Ask ABC: 4 common questions about Heartworm for New Yorkers

Posted in Cat Care, Dog Care by

This is our first post in our ASK ABC series – addressing real questions we get from our clients.

1. What is a heartworm?images

Heartworms are worms that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected pets. They can cause heart disease, lung failure, and damage other organs in the body.

2. How can my pet get heartworms?

images-1Mosquitoes are carriers of heartworms and can transmit it to your cats or dogs. They can live for several years in your pet, and cause long lasting damage even after the worms are removed.

3. How at risk is my pet from getting heartworms?

This depends on where you live and where travel with your pets. To see data on heartworms and other parasites in your area you can use parasitesandpets interactive map. New York’s map is shown below.

Risks of heartworm infection are higher than usual during mosquito season. This usually begins in Spring, from April until November. Heartworm protection is especially important for pets who travel to places with mosquitoes (wooded, gassy areas, upstate etc), or to states where there are higher risks for heartworm.

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Screenshot from Parasitesandpets.com – interactive map for Heartworm data in New York County. As you can see: New York county has a low risk ( 1/125 cases), but there are counties close by that have a moderate risk.

4. How can I protect my pets from heartworms?

Early detection and prevention is key to protecting your pets. At ABC Animal Hospital one recommendation we give after examining a pet is an oral medication to prevent heartworm disease. We trust and sell Iverhart – a chewable medication. (We keep our prices competitive to make it available for all our clients). We provide quick and easy heartworm tests for your pets in-house so results can be provided almost immediately.

You can contact us at (212) 358 0785 to make an appointment for an exam and a heartworm test.

New clients can also register your pets directly on our website. If you have any medical related questions – you can ask us for free through our website’s Ask the veterinarian page.

We hope that this helped clear things up about what heartworms are, and how you can protect your pets. Let us know in the comments if there are any other questions we can answer, and please share this if you found it helpful.

*Disclaimer: This blog is meant only to offer general advice to pet owners. it cannot replace advice given to you by a veterinarian. Reading our blog does not establish a client-patient relationship between you and ABC Animal Hospital. If you suspect that your pet is sick, contact a veterinarian you trust for a proper examination. We can be reached at 212 358 0785.