Dog HeartWorm Guide

Certain dog breeds are very prone to heartworm. However, it doesn’t have anything to do with their genetic makeup. Dogs are susceptible to heartworm if they tend to live in an area where there are many mosquitoes. Heartworms are parasites that are transferred from one dog to another by these small, flying insects.

There are certain types of mosquitoes that carry the heartworm disease. The moment one mosquito bites into an infected dog and that same mosquito bites your pet, it will deposit the worm’s larva into your dog’s bloodstream. It will only take a short while for the eggs to mature. Once the eggs are mature, they will have the ability to multiply in number. When they reach the right amount, the disease will be apparent and it will take over your pet’s entire system.

The main causes of heartworm in dogs are parasites. The instant that they gain entry inside the dog’s body, your pet’s system virtually becomes defenseless. While the dog’s antibodies will attempt to normalize the situation, their forces will not be sufficient to counter the growing number of parasites. In time, the disease wins and it will soon take the life of your pet if you don’t do anything about it.

This is why medication is very important. However, more than treatment, pet owners should be focused on preventing the disease altogether. If your home has mosquitoes, then your dog is at risk of developing the disease. It can really be as simple as that. It is quite impossible to tell which mosquitoes are carriers and which are not. To be safe, you should be very particular about keeping every one of them out of your house and away from you and your dog.

There are certain preventive drugs that can be injected into your pet to protect it from heartworms. These drugs are usually administered by the veterinarian, especially during the months when mosquitoes thrive. It is a good thing that mosquitoes only increase in number during the summer months. In the winter, they are practically not around so you can be pretty sure that your dog is safe from this disease during the colder seasons. If there is an outbreak in your area, make it a point to inform your veterinarian right away so that your dog will be spared from the epidemic.

Heartworm is a very dangerous disease. Also the heartworm treatment it requires is usually long and tedious. What’s worse, the vet can’t assure you that your dog can totally recover from the disease. Even with the necessary medications, it can be very hard for veterinarians to treat a dog suffering from the later stages of heartworm.

Dog owners in the Western States should be very particular about sending their dogs to the vet whenever it develops a cough or is a little lethargic. Heartworm may proceed to destruct your dog’s vital organs without any apparent physical symptoms. Your only chance of detecting this disease early on is by keeping your monthly appointments with the veterinarian. With the help of a certified dog expert, your pet can live happy and safe for the rest of its life.