Heartworm
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Heartworm in Dogs Heartworm is a parasite that most dog owners and many cat owners have to be concerned about. The more you know, the better protected your pet can become. |
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Heartworm larvae are spread by infected mosquitoes. When the infected mosquito bites, the larvae pass through the tissue into the bloodstream. It then takes 47-67 days later that they reach the arteries of the lungs where they continue to develop and grow. Heartworm is a fairly large worm that can grow up to 14 inches long. In adulthood, heartworm lives in the right side of the heart and the large blood vessels that connect the heart to the lungs of an infected dog.
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Heartworm disease is usually detected with a blood test, which we can do in our office and have results for you within 10 minutes. The treatment is expensive for you the owner, and is painful for your pet. Prevention of heartworm disease is always recommended and it is as simple as giving your dog a once a month treat of HeartGard, which is inexpensive compared to the treatment for heartworm.
Some geographic areas have severe heartworm problems while others have virtually none. In order for the parasite to establish itself in an area, the following conditions must be met:
When these conditions come together, an area becomes endemic for heartworm disease.
- Types of mosquitoes capable of carrying larval heartworms must be present.
- The weather must be warm enough to allow heartworm larval development within the mosquito.
- There must be infected dogs or coyotes in the area.
- There must be vulnerable host dogs in the area.
When these conditions come together, an area becomes endemic for heartworm disease.
Heartworm in Cats
Heartworm disease in cats is quite a bit different from heartworm disease in dogs. Cats are so small that only one adult worm could be enough to cause heart failure, plus there is much more inflammation involved with immature worms in cats. Treatment for cats is just as easy with dogs. It involves you as the owner applying a once a month topical product called Revolution.
Heartworm disease in cats is quite a bit different from heartworm disease in dogs. Cats are so small that only one adult worm could be enough to cause heart failure, plus there is much more inflammation involved with immature worms in cats. Treatment for cats is just as easy with dogs. It involves you as the owner applying a once a month topical product called Revolution.
Fortunately, heartworm disease is both treatable and preventable stop in or give us call and we can discuss prevention in more detail.