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The danger of heartworms: What every pet owner needs to know
We’ve all heard that heartworms are bad news, but do you really know what they are and how your furry friend can get infected? This tiny creature has a surprisingly complicated journey before it can cause big trouble for your pet.
It all starts with a mosquito. The mosquito bites a pet that’s already infected with heartworms and picks up baby heartworm larvae. In about three months, those larvae grow up inside the mosquito, moving to its salivary glands.
Once they’re ready, the mosquito simply needs to bite your pet, and boom—the larvae jump right into their bloodstream. For up to six months, they can be in your pet’s system undetected by a vet, making a beeline for their heart.
And once they get there? They settle in for a long stay, living for five to seven years and having babies the whole time! These worms can grow up to 14 inches long and start clogging up your pet’s blood vessels. By the time you notice something is wrong, the heartworms have already done some major damage.
Signs of heartworm infestation are subtle at first and often don’t appear until the worms have already spread. If you notice any of these, call your vet right away:
- A persistent cough
- Tiring easily during or after exercise
- Nosebleeds
- Trouble breathing
The best news is that heartworm prevention is way easier than heartworm treatment. Talk to your vet about the right prevention plan for your pet. Many products combine flea, tick, and heartworm protection all in one.
Got questions or want to share what prevention plan your pet is on? Drop a comment below and let us know!
Love and Kisses Pet Sitting provides Daily Dog Walking and Vacation Pet Sitting for domestic, exotic and farm animals in the following areas of Charlotte: The Arboretum, Ballantyne, Brandon Oaks neighborhood, Concord, Harrisburg, Hemby Bridge, Highland Creek neighborhood, Northeast/Southeast Charlotte, NC, Indian Land, Kannapolis, Lake Park, Marvin, Matthews, Mint Hill, Monroe, Providence Estates East neighborhood, Providence Plantation neighborhood, Provincetowne neighborhood, Skybrook neighborhood, Stallings, Waxhaw, Weddington, and Wesley Chapel. Our service area covers parts of Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Union counties!
We have a 10 year old boxer (bitch). Because of a persistent & occasional cough which she has had for several months now & which has become more frequent in the past few weeks, we suspect that she has heart worm. She has also lost appetite, becomes easily tired & lethargic, which is not her normal nature. We have been de-worming her regularly (every 3-4 months as suggested by our vet) – Cantel, Alfanil, Drontal Plus, Kiwof have all been used alternately.
We did not know about heart worm earlier and would have taken precautions if we had known.
We have had boxers since 1997 (and only boxers) and this is the first one of our pets who has shown the symptoms.
Kindly help us and advise.
With best regards