How to Protect Your Pets From Hidden Dangers

People and their pets: it’s a very close relationship. Most people love their pets and would do anything for them. In return they get a lifetime of love. Dogs of course are known for their faithfulness but also cats, who seem aloof, and horses, who can be supercilious, are completely loyal. They may be sarcastic about it, occasionally, but totally loyal. In return, they rely on us to keep them safe from the visible and hidden dangers that surround us. This is where veterinary diagnostics can help reveal hidden infections like heart worm in dogs and equine infectious anemia virus expression in time for effective treatment.

Pets give us unconditional love
People love their pets as if they were their children. Cats, dogs and horses are at the top of the list of popular pets, but hamsters and parrots inspire strong devotion as well. And in return they give us their unconditional loyalty and affection. Studies have shown the benefits of pet ownership. People lead healthier and happier lives when they have pets.
Dogs have been called man’s best friends, but cats have recently overtaken them. There are around 70 to 80 million pet dogs in the U.S., and 74 to 96 million cats. And about 2 million lucky people, who have the space and the resources to care for them, own horses.

Protecting pets from hidden dangers
In return for the unconditional love they give us, we humans have a responsibility to care for our pets. These include keeping them fed and sheltered, and also protected from visible and hidden dangers. Diseases like heartworm in dogs and equine infectious anemia virus expression are silent and deadly.
Heartworm is predominantly found in dogs, though as many as thirty different species can be affected by it, including humans. It is estimated that a million dogs will be heartworm positive in the U.S. each year. Heartworm is carried by infected mosquitos and is transmitted when the mosquito bites someone.

How laboratory diagnostics can help
It can take six months for an infection to show through testing. Dogs can be given heartworm medicine as a preventative from an early age. Puppies can be given heartworm medication from the age of six months onwards.
Treatment for heartworm can be expensive, costing as much as $1,000. It is much less expensive to give preventative doses of heartworm medication.

In detecting hidden dangers like heartworm and equine infectious anemia virus expression, veterinary clinical diagnostics play an important part. Canine heartworm tests and other veterinary laboratory services can help detect infections in time to begin treatment. It’s even possible to use the dog heartworm test at home. Likewise for horse owners, detecting equine infectious anemia virus expression in time can be of crucial importance.