As we close out "Heartworm Awareness Month", we want to make sure the basics about heartworm disease stick with you!  Watch Dr. Roberts, our veterinary preceptor, explain the top things you need to know so you can best protect your pet from this devastating, and in some cases, deadly disease!

Hurry in!  Don't miss out on a FREE heartworm screening for your pet in April.  Learn how.

While Luna was playing outside (one of her most favorite things as an energetic girl,) she cut her back open trying to crawl under a fence.  The laceration was significant enough to require a thorough cleaning and stitches under anesthesia.  But before doing so, our veterinarians required pre-surgical blood work to verify pertinent internal health information-- one of the optional items being a heartworm test/blood parasite screening.

Emily, Luna’s owner, said, “Unfortunately, we did not realize the importance of giving monthly heartworm prevention at that time.  She had not been on anything.”

If fall is your favorite season, then you have something in common with ticks.  They LOVE cooler weather-- particularly when the temperatures fall between 40-60 degrees fahrenheit. 

Plus, there's a new tick on the rise!  Have you heard of the Asian Long-Horned Tick?  It was first identified in the United States in 2017 on Sheep in New Jersey.  It thrives in cool environments and is an aggressive feeder.  These ticks are now in Kentucky and you may find them on your pets.  You may find them on you.  These ticks are such aggressive eaters that they have been known to drain large animals of blood to the point of death.  Additional sources:  www.cdc.gov/ticks/longhorned-tick/index.html