Disease facts
- Adult heartworms live in the right side of the heart.
- They are 6-14 inches long. Several hundred may be present in the dog!
- Heartworms impair blood circulation, resulting in damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Serious damage may occur, even before outward clinical signs are detected by the owner.
- Advanced signs include difficult breathing, coughing, tiring easily, listlessness, and loss of weight, and fainting.
- Heartworms are found throughout the United States and Canada.
About heartworms
Heartworms, which affect mostly dogs but some cats as well, are transferred through mosquitoes. A mosquito will ingest circulating microfilaria from an infected host and the microfilaria will develop into a larva in the mosquito. The infected mosquito will then transmit the larvae to another host, which will migrate from the subcutaneous layer of the skin into the veins and then the heart. The worms become sexually active in the heart and pulmonary arteries and produce more microfilaria, continuing the cycle.
Adult worms can live up to seven years and grow up to 14 inches long, which may cause significant damage to the heart, lungs and other vital organs. If left untreated, heartworm disease can result in death.
Heartworm disease is preventable. A once a month chewable can prevent the larvae from developing into adult heartworms.
Contact us to schedule an appointment for an in-house yearly blood test, recommended to ensure that your pet is not already infected.
