COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mosquito populations in Central Ohio are highest during spring and summer, making it vital for local dog owners to take adequate measures to protect their pets. Hamilton Road Animal Hospital suggests that residents test their dogs for heartworms and start monthly preventative medication.
As mosquito populations start to rise in Central Ohio, area dogs are more susceptible to heartworms. Heartworm disease is caused by worms up to a foot in length that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. This severe and potentially fatal disease affects dogs, cats, ferrets and other mammals. It is transmitted from one animal to another through mosquito bites. After a mosquito bites an infected animal, it can transfer the infective larvae to another animal where this larva will mature into adult worms over the next six months.
According to the American Heartworm Society, dogs are a natural host for heartworms. After heartworms mature inside the dog’s body, they begin to mate and produce offspring. If left untreated, heartworms eventually cause long-term damage to the heart, lungs and arteries. These parasites can affect a dog’s quality of life and health even after they are gone. Prevention is the best option for pet owners, and dogs that have been infected should be treated as early as possible to prevent serious health issues.
“Dogs should be protected year-round to prevent heartworms, but it is particularly important when the mosquito population starts to rise as it does in the spring and summer,” says Dr. Michael Turley, the owner and one of the experienced veterinarians at Hamilton Road Animal Hospital. “This condition is serious, and the best way to keep your dog healthy is by taking preventative measures.”
Dr. Turley suggests that dog owners in the Columbus area take their dogs into their local veterinarian for a simple blood test to see if they have been infected with heartworms. If the test is negative, pet owners should make sure their dogs are on monthly preventative medications to protect their animals. If dogs test positive, the veterinarian can then discuss potential treatment options.
Hamilton Road Animal Hospital offers heartworm testing and preventative medication to animals in the Columbus, Whitehall, Bexley, Reynoldsburg, Gahanna, Pickerington and Groveport areas. Any pet owner who wants to protect their animals from heartworm disease can contact the animal hospital, located at 1129 South Hamilton Road in Columbus, by calling (614) 239-0027. Further information regarding their full range of services can be found on their website at http://hamiltonrdanimalhospital.com/.
About Hamilton Road Animal Hospital
The professional veterinary staff at Hamilton Road Animal Hospital aims to offer high-quality veterinary health care to pets in Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding areas. The hospital offers a variety of services including preventative care, spaying and neutering, pet surgery, laboratory tests, vaccinations, microchipping and pet dental care.