Loving a pet is one of life's simple joys. Losing a pet is just as devastating a losing a member of the family. The issue with pets and keeping them healthy is this, they can't tell you when something is wrong. That is why pet owners need to be vigilante in watching for signs of illness in their animals.

One of the leading causes of pet deaths in our state is heartworms. These parasites enter our pets bodies usually through a mosquito bite. That can be especially troubling in Louisiana says American Heartworm Society Dr. Stephen Jones,

"You have a mosquito population there that is tremendous. So the mosquito is a problem because it is the transmitter of heartworm disease. You also have a wildlife population that harbors heartworm disease, not to mention many pets that are infected with heartworm disease,"

Dr. Jones' comments were reported by the Louisiana Radio Network.

He also says that it only takes one infected animal in a neighborhood to increase the chances of all the pets in the neighborhood getting heartworms. These pests injure and kill our pets by doing damage to the heart and lungs of the animal. Dr. Jones says prevention is the key for pet owners.

"Everybody should have their pet tested. When negative they should be placed on heartworm prevention. Prevention is very simple. It comes in various forms, we have topical, we have oral products and we have an injectable product. Heartworm prevention through the use of heartowrm medications is the answer,"

Louisiana currently ranks number 2 in the nation on the list of reported heartworm incidents. It's one of those lists we don't want to be ranked highly on.

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