There are many pet owners across America. Whether families have dogs, or cats, or even horses, they all have one thing in common: the need for veterinary services. Veterinary diagnostics companies offer a number of veterinary laboratory services to help ensure that America?s pets are healthy and safe, and because there are so many pet owners out there, that?s great news for the veterinary diagnostics market.
The veterinary diagnostics market offers life saving testing for animals like cats, dogs, and horses, that can detect potentially life threatening diseases like heartworm. And because there are an estimated 2 million horses, 70-80 million dogs and anywhere between 74 and 96 million cats owned by families in the U.S., its good to know that things like the veterinary diagnostics market exists to give these families the peace of mind they need to be outstanding, loving pet owners.
Heartworm is a serious disease that can have a devastating affect, particularly in cats and dogs. The cost of treatment for the disease can be upwards of $1,000, but pet owners can purchase monthly preventative medicine for their pets to help prevent heartworm. However, not enough people are taking preventative steps to keep their pets safe. Each year, it?s estimated that nearly one million dogs test positive for heartworm. That?s a big number when you consider that these positive cases could have been prevented. When dogs are infected, they usually end up with over 30 worms in their hearts and lungs, while cats end up with six or fewer. Regardless of the number of worms a dog or cat has, the effects can still be catastrophic.
Horses on the other hand have an entirely different disease to worry about, known as EIAV. EIAV is transmitted via horseflies, and when horses are infected with the virus they might develop severe infections that can kill them within two to three weeks of getting the virus. While EIAV isn?t as common as heartworm in cats and dogs, with only one horsefly out of six million being a carrier, it?s still not a disease horse owners should mess around with.
With diseases like heartworm and EIAV out there that can have life threatening consequences, it?s a good thing the veterinary diagnostic market exists so local veterinary offices can be equipped with the tools and medicines needed to combat these deadly diseases. More research here.
