Learn 12 reasons to prevent heartworm infection in dogs, cats and ferrets 12 months a year.

1. reasons to protect your pet
months a year

2. Reason #1.
Heartworms
are a
common
parasite.
Heartsworms live in the
hearts, lungs and arteries of
dogs, cats and ferrets.

3. Reason #2.
Heartworms
can be fatal
to pets.
Heartworms can also cause
lasting damage that affects
pets’ health and quality of life.

4. 3. Infected
dogs can
harbor up to
several
hundred
worms.
And heartworms
in dogs can grow
up to 12 inches
or longer.
Reason #3. Infected dogs can harbor up to several
hundred worms.

5. Reason #4. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes.
It only takes one bite
from an infected
mosquito to transmit
heartworm infection.

6. Reason #5.
Chances
are, you
don’t live
in a
heartworm-
free zone.
Pets with heartworms are found
across the United States.

7. Reason #6. There’s no such thing as
heartworm “season.”
If you live in a warm
climate, mosquitoes
live year-round. But
even if your locale has
cold winters, it’s
virtually impossible to
know when you’ll see
the first mosquito in
the spring or the last
one in the fall.

8. Reason #7. Mosquitoes don’t always stay outdoors.
Once inside,
mosquitoes can
infect indoor pets.
They also love
warm, protected
spaces where they
can survive when
the weather turns
chilly.

9. Reason #8.
Heartworm
preventives
work by
treating
infections your
pet developed
a month or
more earlier.
Just because you haven’t seen a
mosquito lately doesn’t mean
your pet isn’t at risk.

10. Reason #9.
Many
heartworm
preventives do
double duty.
Some preventives
protect pets from
heartworms AND
other nasty
parasites that can
affect both pets
and people. It’s
one more reason
your pets need
prevention year-
round.

11. Reason #10. Treatment can be costly—and risky.
If your dog gets heartworms,
treatment is available but is costly
and potentially risky—plus the
infection itself can cause long-
term damage.
Be sure to have your veterinarian
test your pets every year to catch
infections ASAP. And alert your
veterinarian if you’ve missed one
or more doses of preventive.

12. Reason #11. Heartworm infections in cats and
ferrets can’t be treated.
For cats and ferrets,
prevention is the only option,
because there are no
approved treatments for
these pets. In cats, meanwhile,
heartworms often die before
fully maturing, but damage
from even short-term
infection can be serious.

13. Reason #12. Heartworm preventionWORKS and is
easy to give.
The American Heartworm
Society recommends annual
heartworm testing and giving
heartworm preventives 12
months a year to help keep
pets, healthy and heartworm-
free.Talk to your veterinarian
about what preventive is
right for your pet.

14. a reminder from the