One of our representatives will be happy to contact you within 24 hours. For urgent needs call us at: 714-891-7600

For Ultrasounds, we use a mobile Board Certified Veterinary Radiologist.  In the normal realm of the veterinary curriculum, veterinarians are not thoroughly trained in performing and reading ultrasounds.  There are veterinarians, however, who go on further years of training in order to perform these specialized tests.  Thus, we bring in only the very best to take care of your loved one!
In addition, we have an outside lab to perform further diagnostics when needed, such as biopsies (by Board Certified Veterinary Pathologists), Bladder Stone Analaysis, & Cultures and Sensitivities of Bacterium...to name a few things.

The Heartworm Life Cycle


Heartworms LOVE dogs as they are their favorite host to infest! (Cats can get heartworms as well, but they are the “aberrant host” for them, so it is not as common in cats.)  To start, adult female heartworms release their young (microfilariae) into the bloodstream of the infected animal.  Then, when a mosquito bites the pet, the mosquito becomes infected.  The baby heartworms mature in the mosquito over a 10-14 day period, becoming larvae.  (This is a crucial step as the baby heartworms cannot mature into adults without passing through a mosquito!).  Once the larvae have developed, when the mosquito bites another animal, the larvae enters the pet.  Over the next 6 months, these larvae develop into adult heartworms. 

What are the signs of Heartworm Disease?
Most Animals initially show no clinical signs, as the number of heartworms grows slowly over a period of time.  As the burden of worms grow, infected dogs may develop a mild, persistent cough, reluctance to move or exercise, fatigue after only moderate exercise, reduced appetite, and weight loss.  

How do you Detect Heartworm Disease?
The infection is usually detected with a simple blood test that looks for an “antigen” produced by the heartworms in the bloodstream.  The test is performed within the veterinary hospital and only requires a few drops of blood.  

Treatment
Treatment for heartworm disease is quite painful.  The adult heartworms are killed in dogs using an adulticiide that is infected into the muscle through a series of treatments.  Exercise is limited to minimal leash walking during the recovery period of a few months.  This restriction decreases the risk of partial or complete blockage of blood flow through the lungs by the dead worms.   After reading (or “skimming”!) all of this, one must wonder “What can I do to protect my pet?”.  You can easily protect your dog with a simple, monthly heartworm preventative.  There are several on the market.  Some also eliminate fleas and intestinal parasites, too.  Our practice carries, what I believe to be, the best combination medication on the market: Trifexis.  Trifexis is basically the drug Comfortis (flea medication) plus the drug Interceptor (heartworm and intestinal parasite protector).  Trifexis protects against Heartworms, Fleas, Hookworms, Roundworms, and Whipworms.  I trust it so much that I give it to my very own Magnolia Mae every month!  If you have any questions, or would like to stop in for a heartworm test to get your dog started on Trifexis, feel free to stop by anytime and we would be happy to help!

Results without the Wait!


We are a full service medical facility, offering in-house blood work and digital radiography. The beauty of this is that we get immediate results - no waiting!!! That way Dr. Berka can come up with a treatment plan right away to help your pet! This is crucial in cases of illness. But, it has the beauty that in cases where we are doing wellness bloodwork for preventative care or pre-anesthetic bloodwork, we get immediate results!














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Call Us Today - 714-891-7600
11951 Valley View St, Garden Grove Ca 92845