Pet Parasite Prevention in Harrisonburg, VA

Protect Your Pets with Help from Heartland Veterinary Clinic

ALL dogs and cats are at risk for parasites. The importance of parasite prevention for your pet cannot be understated. At Heartland Veterinary Clinic, we offer parasite prevention services for dogs and cats.

Flea & Tick Prevention

Protect your pet and family from flea and tick infestations, dermatitis secondary to allergies, and serious, sometimes fatal, infectious diseases that can be transmitted by them. Fleas and ticks are easy to prevent, and we can help. Each of our products are medically approved, safe, and guaranteed to help protect your family.

Where and when can my pet get fleas & ticks? Dogs and cats can get fleas and ticks in a variety of places — whether they go outside or not. Other animals (or even humans) can bring fleas and ticks into your home. And anytime your pet is outside, they are at risk. Wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits and raccoons all carry fleas and ticks. Fleas and ticks can live outside year-round but the worst months are spring and fall.

How and when should I prevent fleas & ticks? Because fleas and ticks can be found outside all year long, it is important that your pet is always protected. If you see signs of fleas or ticks on your pet, start treatment immediately. We offer a series of medically-approved, easy-to use products that are guaranteed to protect your pet.

Download our brochure to learn more!

Intestinal Parasites

Parasites like fleas and ticks are usually easy to spot, but others – like intestinal parasites – can go undetected. Many pets are diagnosed with diseases carried by parasites. Treatment can be expensive, and some diseases can lead to serious illness. Even worse, many of these diseases are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted to people, too.

Before you panic, you should know that intestinal parasites are usually easy to treat but are even easier to prevent. You may already be protecting your pets and don't even know it. Many heartworm preventatives also treat and prevent intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Likewise, having your pet on monthly flea and tick preventatives helps protect them against fleas that transmit tapeworms and ticks that spread tick-borne diseases. Using monthly parasite preventatives year-round and screening your pets annually protects your two- and four-legged family members from parasites.

Heartworms

Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. It is a serious disease that can affect the heart and lungs but also other organs and central nervous system as well. If left untreated, this disease can result in death.

Of course, heartworm disease can be treated, and the treatment options have improved – but they still have potential risks. The fact is, treatment is expensive, time consuming, and not without risks. For these reasons, the goal should always be prevention rather than treatment.

Heartworm preventative medications are available from your veterinarian. In addition to protecting your pets from heartworm disease, many heartworm preventatives also protect your pet against other internal parasites. Before starting preventative medications, if your pet is over six months of age, your veterinarian will test them for heartworm infection because serious complications can develop if an infected animal is started on certain preventatives. An annual heartworm test is also recommended to ensure that your fur-baby is not infected.

Ear Mites

Ear mites are often the result of unclean ears. Keeping your pet’s ears clean can help prevent eat mites from developing.

Symptoms of ear mites include:

• Scratching
• Increased earwax
• Thick, black-colored ear discharge
• Head shaking
• Sores around or on the ears
• Itching of the head and neck

If your pet is diagnosed, your vet will prescribe parasiticides that will kill the mites. However, Revolution, a monthly heartworm/parasite preventative, also prevents against mites.

Book an appointment for your pet today by calling (540) 208-5415. We serve clients from Rockingham County, Staunton, Luray, Shenandoah, Mathias, and beyond.