Heartworm Disease and Prevention in Your Pet Dog

Heartworm illness is a dangerous infection that affects dogs, cats, and ferrets. Pets may develop serious lung illness, heart failure, organ damage, and even death due to the symptoms.

Heartworms are a natural host for dogs, meaning they live inside the dog, grow into adults, mate, and create progeny.

Even when the parasites are removed, dogs might have hundreds of worms in their hearts, lungs, and arteries, harming their health and quality of life. Heartworm illness has long-term consequences, which is why it is so crucial to avoid it rather than cure it after it has begun.

Heartworm Disease and Prevention

Because heartworms may live for long periods, each time an infected mosquito bites our pets, the number of worms might multiply. Because dogs are the most prevalent carriers of heartworm, this article will concentrate on canine heartworm. However, the majority of this information also applies to other animals who contract heartworm.

Transmission

Heartworm transmission is dependent on the mosquito population in a given location. Around 70 mosquito species are capable of spreading the illness. The bigger the number of mosquitos in a given area, the greater the risk of heartworm transmission.

Dogs are the most prevalent carriers of heartworm disease. According to new research, heartworm infection is a leading cause of heart disease in cats. Wild animals are also infected with heartworm. Visit a website like www.legacyamc.com for more information.

The Heartworm 

The adult heartworm can grow to be 6-14 inches long. It’s thread-like and white in appearance, and it’s primarily found in the heart’s pulmonary arteries and right ventricle. Mating happens when mature male and female heartworms are present.

In a dog’s bloodstream, circulating microfilariae can survive for up to two years. The mosquito is an intermediate host and a disease vector (transmitting agent). The sickness is conveyed to another dog by the mosquito injecting microfilariae at the time of the bite.

Adult heartworms induce pulmonary artery irritation and thickening. As time goes on, more arteries get irritated, and blood clots form. Blood pressure rises due to the obstructed pulmonary arteries, putting a burden on the heart’s right ventricle. Learn more to help you keep your pet safe.

Symptoms

The clinical signs and symptoms of heartworm illness appear gradually. Symptoms do not usually appear until three years after the initial infection. The heart’s elevated workload issues cause the majority of the symptoms.

Early signs include a lack of energy and an inability to exercise. Coughing and trouble breathing are two of the most typical symptoms of heartworm illness. As the disease progresses, most dogs have congestive heart failure and ascites.

In the last stages of the illness, dogs frequently collapse. Not only are heartworms hazardous, but so are the treatments for heartworm illness.

Prevention

There are several alternatives available to pet owners to avoid heartworm illness. Pet owners should get their pets tested for heartworms before starting preventative medication. Your veterinarian should discuss a treatment strategy with you if heartworms are found.

The most common method of heartworm prevention is to give your pet a monthly heartworm preventative medicine. Many of these monthly medications come in the form of a chewable treat. Some of them are used in conjunction with other preventive drugs.

Your veterinarian will advise you on the appropriate product for your pet. Don’t hesitate to contact a veterinarian as soon as possible if you want your pet to be tested for heartworm or if you would like further information on the disease. Look up “Vets in Liberty Lake” for best results.

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