HEARTWORM FACTS
Heartworms are found throughout the United States and Canada. Adult heartworms live in the right side of the heart. They are 6-14 inches long. Several hundred may be present in a dog’s heart. 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. Advanced signs include difficult breathing, coughing, tiring easily, listlessness, loss of weight, and fainting.
Mosquitoes spread heartworms:
After ingesting blood from and infected dog, the microfilaria (“baby” heartworms) are transmitted to another dog or cat when the mosquito bites it. Once the heartworms mature, they begin reproducing additional microfilaria. A mosquito must ingest the microfilaria before the mosquito can become infectious. The mosquito must then inject the heartworm larvae into the susceptible pet. It takes 3 to 6 months for adult heartworms to develop in a dog after an infected mosquito bites it. Heartworms occur in all breeds of dogs whether they are “inside dogs” or “outside dogs”. Heartworms are also known to infect cats.
Diagnosis of heartworms is done by a special test to detect occult heartworm disease. To detect the “baby” heartworms in the blood, a different test is required when heartworms are suspected, even if the initial screening test is negative, because a small number of dogs may have adult heartworms but yet have no microfilaria in the bloodstream. Treatment is very successful when the disease is detected early. The adult worms are killed with an injectable drug given in a series of 2 injections. A few days later, the heartworms begin to die, and are carried by way of the bloodstream to the lungs where they lodge in small blood vessels. They slowly decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months. Other injections are required to kill the microfilaria (baby heartworms) at a later time.
HEARTWORMS CAN BE PREVENTED
We strongly recommend the once a month heartworm preventives, which also aid in the prevention of other internal parasites. Heartworm prevention should be given every month, all year long for the duration of the pet’s life. Routine heartworm testing is recommended as well.