Having your dog tested for heartworms is one of the most important things you can do to insure the health of your pet as well as those living within the traveling range of mosquitoes from your house.
Heartworms are not a new deadly parasite. There was mention of them more than 100 years ago in the “The Western Journal of Medicine and Surgery.” It wasn’t until about 1902 that articles stating that cats can get heartworms were published. Today, heartworm infection is a worldwide problem and cases have been reported in all 50 of the United States.
Heartworms are transmitted from one animal to another by mosquitoes. If a mosquito bites an animal infected with heartworms, young ones known as microfilariae enter the mosquito’s system. Within two weeks, the microfilariae develop into infective larvae and can be transmitted to another animal when the mosquito feeds.
It takes approximately six months for the heartworm larvae to mature into adults. During the first three months, the larvae travel through the dog’s body and eventually reach the blood vessels found in the lungs. The immature worms spend the next three months growing and developing. A female heartworm can reach 14 inches in length.
Heartworms cause damage to the blood vessels, thus reducing the heart’s ability to pump blood. The result is severe lung and heart disease.
If adult worms of both sexes are present after five to seven months, they mate and produce new microfilariae. This can cause a dog’s immune system to react and actually cause damage to other organs. Adult heartworms have been known to survive for up to seven years in dogs.
There is good and bad news when it comes to preventing heartworms. There are several good preventative medicines that can keep your dog free of heartworms. Some of the medications also prevent worm, flea and tick infestations. The bad news is that too few pet owners use the preventative medications. In addition, wild animals such as skunks and foxes don’t have access to preventatives and can become a raging source of heartworm infestations.
Unfortunately, dogs frequently do not show symptoms of heartworm disease until the larvae have developed into adult worms. Symptoms include a persistent cough, tiring after a little exercise, reduced appetite and weight loss.
It is far better to prevent heartworms than to have to treat the disease. Talk to your dog’s veterinarian for recommendations and have the tests done as part of the dog’s annual physical examination. Testing can be as simple as the drawing of a small amount of blood.
Should heartworms be detected, the dog’s doctor may perform a chest X-ray, blood work and an ultrasound of the heart to confirm the presence of the parasitic worms and the severity of the disease.
Treatment for heartworm disease, quite frankly, can be brutal and risky depending on your dog’s overall health. While the dog is being treated to kill the worms, he or she will require complete confinement and rest and will not be allowed to romp and play.
In many instances, additional medications may be needed to help control the dog’s inflammatory reaction to the worms that are breaking down in the dog’s lungs.
You can expect treatment to be stressful for both you and the dog, so get your dog tested today. Never start heartworm preventative medications without first having the vet perform tests to see if heartworms are present.
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