I slipped the needle into her vein, and seconds later she was gone. Her pain was over, and so was our time together in this world. My family and I were fortunate to have a decade with Emily, and I am equally fortunate to have this opportunity to tell you about her. Over the past week or two, I have received numerous e-mail questions about various aspects of heartworm disease in dogs. Heartworms are a potentially fatal parasite of the heart and large blood vessels, transmitted to dogs by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Prevention is the key to heartworm control, and is easily accomplished.
Dogs should be blood tested annually to make sure that they are free of the disease, and then placed on a monthly heartworm preventative. The most commonly used preventatives are Heartgard, Sentinel, and Interceptor. Make an investment in your friend's good health, and talk to your veterinarian about heartworm prevention. For more articles, see the veterinary column archive index . We offer a spay and neuter page that covers every objection to spaying or neutering that I have heard in 10 years of practice.