A Healthy Heart is Heartworm Free

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria Immitis, which lives in the heart, lungs and blood vessels of an infected dog and is spread through mosquito bites. Infected dogs can experience serious lung disease, heart failure, organ damage and even death. Prevention is by far the best option for your dog. The good news is there is a wide range of preventatives that your vet can prescribe, including chewable tablets, topical treatments, and injections that can protect your dog for up to 12 months.

Mosquitoes transmit the disease. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it becomes a host to the infection for the next 10-14 days. When the infected mosquito bites another dog, they transfer the infection, leaving larvae that take 6-7 months to mature into adults, before releasing more offspring into the bloodstream.

Symptoms of heartworm disease may take months or even years to show, by which point your dog may have a large heartworm burden. Worms stop blood from moving freely between the heart and lungs, putting the heart under severe strain and causing it to become enlarged. Early symptoms include shortness of breath, unexplained fatigue, and a persistent dry cough. As the disease advances, dogs may experience great difficulty breathing, a swollen abdomen, lethargy, weight loss, and loss of appetite.

If your dog has missed their preventative dose, particularly if they have gone more than 6 months without medication, a blood test will need to be carried out by your vet to test for heartworm before you can commence medication. This is because adult worms in the heart or bloodstream can die from the preventative medication, leading to serious health issues. It’s important to ensure your dog’s heartworm prevention schedule is up to date.

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