Heartworm medication may seem costly, but It is nothing compared to what happens if your dog gets heartworms. The actual, physical and emotional costs of your pet getting heartworms is much worse than preventative treatment. Heartworms are a serious parasitic infection in dogs that can be fatal if left untreated. We want to answer all of your questions about heartworms including what they are, what causes them and what you can do to help your pet live a healthy and long life.
How do dogs get heartworms?
The only way for a dog to get heartworms is through the bite of an infected mosquito. There is no way to tell whether a mosquito is infected and heartworm disease exists throughout the United States. Another phrase that means that your dog has heartworms is “heartworm positive”.
What happens when a dog gets bitten by a mosquito with the disease?
It takes several months after a dog is bitten by an infected mosquito for the heartworm larvae to mature into adult heartworms. Once the heartworms are mature they lodge in the heart, lungs and surrounding blood vessels and reproduce from there. Adult worms can grow up to a foot in length and can live 5-7 years and a dog can have up to 250 worms in their system.
Can my dog give me or my other dogs heartworms?
Dogs cannot infect humans with heartworm, but there have been rare instances of humans being infected the same way that dogs can be infected, by the bite of a mosquito. Other pets such as cats, ferrets and other mammal can be infected by mosquitos as well. Additionally, if you have one dog that has heartworms it cannot infect your other pets.
How will I know if my dog is heartworm positive?
Initially dogs have no symptoms when they get infected but as the size and amount of the worms grow your dog will begin to exhibit symptoms. The first symptom is usually a cough as the heartworms enter the lungs, and as your dog gets progressively more ill they will not want to exercise and tire easily. The lungs begin to sound abnormal and dogs can pass out from the loss of blood to the brain. Most dogs will die if the worms are not treated. Once a dog is heartworm positive they can be treated, and the success of the treatment usually depends on how advanced the infestation is within your dog’s system. Treatment can involve tests, bloodwork, x-rays and then drugs to try to kill the heartworms. The cost of treating heartworm can be close to or over $1000.
The best thing that you can do for your dog is to give them the preventative medicine, it is the most reliable way to protect your dog from heartworms. Preventative medicine for your dog is usually in the form of monthly pills that cost less than a night out to dinner or a weekly cup of coffee. The cost of the pills vary based on the weight of your dog, with larger dogs needing larger doses. Additionally, preventing heartworms makes more than just financial sense, it saves your dog a lot of pain and discomfort and helps prolong their lives.
How do dogs get heartworms?
The only way for a dog to get heartworms is through the bite of an infected mosquito. There is no way to tell whether a mosquito is infected and heartworm disease exists throughout the United States. Another phrase that means that your dog has heartworms is “heartworm positive”.
What happens when a dog gets bitten by a mosquito with the disease?
It takes several months after a dog is bitten by an infected mosquito for the heartworm larvae to mature into adult heartworms. Once the heartworms are mature they lodge in the heart, lungs and surrounding blood vessels and reproduce from there. Adult worms can grow up to a foot in length and can live 5-7 years and a dog can have up to 250 worms in their system.
Can my dog give me or my other dogs heartworms?
Dogs cannot infect humans with heartworm, but there have been rare instances of humans being infected the same way that dogs can be infected, by the bite of a mosquito. Other pets such as cats, ferrets and other mammal can be infected by mosquitos as well. Additionally, if you have one dog that has heartworms it cannot infect your other pets.
How will I know if my dog is heartworm positive?
Initially dogs have no symptoms when they get infected but as the size and amount of the worms grow your dog will begin to exhibit symptoms. The first symptom is usually a cough as the heartworms enter the lungs, and as your dog gets progressively more ill they will not want to exercise and tire easily. The lungs begin to sound abnormal and dogs can pass out from the loss of blood to the brain. Most dogs will die if the worms are not treated. Once a dog is heartworm positive they can be treated, and the success of the treatment usually depends on how advanced the infestation is within your dog’s system. Treatment can involve tests, bloodwork, x-rays and then drugs to try to kill the heartworms. The cost of treating heartworm can be close to or over $1000.
The best thing that you can do for your dog is to give them the preventative medicine, it is the most reliable way to protect your dog from heartworms. Preventative medicine for your dog is usually in the form of monthly pills that cost less than a night out to dinner or a weekly cup of coffee. The cost of the pills vary based on the weight of your dog, with larger dogs needing larger doses. Additionally, preventing heartworms makes more than just financial sense, it saves your dog a lot of pain and discomfort and helps prolong their lives.
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