Page 13 - Stuart Exposure - October '21

Stuart Exposure, Page 13

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Medicare Corner With Gillie Supplement Or Advantage Plan? How Do I Decide?
Advantage Plans must cover all the medically necessary

Medicare.gov offers look-up tools for medications and

It’s Time For Medicare Annual Enrollment services that Original Medicare covers. Most plans offer extra all plans in your area. There is an overwhelming amount of
Period (AEP), Oct. 15 To Dec. 7 benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover – like prescription information there. A licensed local agent like me can review
drugs, dental, vision and hearing. your information and help you make an informed decision.
What Does This Mean To Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans (also called I Am Already On An Advantage Plan I Like … Should
Me, What Are My Options? Medigap) help fill “gaps” in Original Medicare and are sold I Change?
• Change from Original by private companies to cover deductibles and copays. Each year you receive the Annual Notice of Change
Medicare to a Medicare Prescription drug coverage must be purchased separately. (ANOC) for your plan which outlines the changes for the
Advantage Plan What Do I Look For? How Do I Know What Plan Is Best upcoming year. A free plan review will let you know if other
• Change from a Medicare For Me? plans you previously ruled out may have coverage that better
Advantage Plan back to First we review the costs of supplement and drug plans and meets you needs now or if your current plan is sufficient.
Original Medicare look at your healthcare budget. Then we review the Advantage I speak Medicare: Supplement, Drug Plan and Advantage
• Switch from one Plans, check to see if are doctors are in network and review Plan.
Advantage Plan to another the cost of medications you take. Another consideration is, For your free Medicare Plan review, call me.
Advantage Plan which of the ancillary benefits of Advantage Plans are most Gillie Thorpe, Agent, (772) 237-7123
• Join, drop or change important to you: dental, eye exam, glasses, gym membership,
Medicare drug coverage hearing aids, over the counter medication, etc.? tip of the tail

Feline Heartworms

Stuart

Heartworm disease is a year-round risk to our pets in
Florida. Our warm, humid climate means that mosquitos
carrying heartworms are capable of infecting our pets at any
Exceptional time of the year.
And while most of Florida’s dog owners know that

heartworm prevention is an essential part of dog ownership, very
few of Florida’s cat owners realize that cats require heartworm
Memory Care prevention too.
Cats are infected with heartworms when they are bitten by

a mosquito that is carrying heartworm larvae. Once bitten, the
heartworm larvae develop in the cat’s skin, fat, and muscle tissue.
Approximately two months later, young heartworms emerge and
travel via the bloodstream to the cat’s heart and large arteries of
the lungs.
Unfortunately, heartworm disease in cats can be fatal, and
sudden-death may be the first sign that a cat is infected. When
young heartworms reach the heart and arteries of the lungs, the
cat’s body usually responds with a severe immune reaction to try
and kill the worms. This immune response causes inflammation
in the arteries and airways which can result in coughing,
difficulty breathing, wheezing, or vomiting. Long-term damage
to the lungs can occur. Heartworm disease in cats can easily be
mistaken for feline asthma.
Young heartworms that don’t die early on will grow to an
adult size of approximately eight inches long and will survive for
two to three years in the cat. When the adult worms ultimately
die, fragments of the worms can lodge in the lungs and blood
vessels causing acute inflammatory events that can result in
death of the cat. Feline heartworms can also migrate to the brain,
eyes, and spinal cord, which can result in neurological signs in
infected cats.
The Companion Animal Parasite Council reports that as
many as 20.9 percent of cats in Florida have been infected with
heartworm disease at some point in their life. National rates of
infection are reported to be between 12 to 15.9 percent.
If you open your doors, then your cat is at risk. It only
takes one bite from an infected mosquito to infect your cat
with heartworm disease. Studies have found that 30 percent of
heartworm-infected cats were considered “indoor-only.”
Unlike dogs, there is no treatment for heartworm disease in
cats. If your cat is infected, your vet may prescribe steroids to try
and reduce your cat’s inflammatory response to the heartworms.
Supportive care is really all that can be provided.
Fortunately, preventing heartworm disease in cats is easy. A
topical or oral medication, used monthly, is all that is needed to
keep your cat from becoming infected.
If your cat isn’t on a monthly heartworm preventative, please
Call today to schedule your personalized contact us at Palm City Animal Medical Center today. We
would be happy to answer any questions that you have about
experience, and come find out what makes us feline heartworm disease, and can help you choose a heartworm
experts on dementia and Alzheimer’s! preventative that will work best for you and your pet.
Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical Center is

dedicated to providing the best possible care for your pets. With
650 NW Fork Road | Stuart, FL 34994 focuses on compassionate care in surgery, physical therapy and
(772) 264-4846 rehabilitation, preventative medicine, extensive diagnostics, and
emergency service, Palm City Animal Medical Center combines
exceptional medical care with a caring philosophy for pets and
www.HarborChase.com their owners. For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit
ALF# 13531
www.palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.