Most dog owners have heard of heartworms, the potentially deadly parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. These parasites make their home in your dog’s heart and lungs. It’s hard to overestimate how serious a disease this is – and how important regular testing and monthly prevention is for your canine family members.
What is much newer to Central Illinois is the prevalence of tick-borne diseases. This summer, we have seen several of our canine patients test positive for Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, and other serious conditions that are transmitted by ticks.
Signs and symptoms of these diseases can be:
- lethargy
- joint pain
- life-threatening blood problems
Early detection is the key! At Bortell Animal Hospital, we understand how important your pet’s health and well-being is, so we have changed our basic heartworm test to something more comprehensive. Our new test includes testing for heartworm and tick-borne diseases as well.
Help us help keep your pet healthy – ask for a yearly heartworm test!
We look forward to seeing you soon for your annual wellness check-up.
Warmly,
Dr. Anne Falbowski