Now, I’m no veterinarian, but I’ve learned a few things from my vet and from my mom, who has done a lot of reading on this subject. Heartworms are transmitted to us dogs by mosquitoes carrying heartworm larvae. The mosquito gets the larvae from biting an infected dog, so as you see, it’s a vicious cycle.
Now after the larvae (the technical term is microfilariae) enter the dog’s bloodstream, they migrate in the body for several months while growing into mature worms. These adult worms can be as long as 12 inches and live for 5 – 7 years! And, one dog can have as many as 250 worms! Gross! I can’t believe I had these things living inside me!
The adult worms live inside the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels. They reÁroduce and have baby worms. The severity of the disease deÁends on the number of icky worms Áresent as well as how old the dog is and how active she is. These evil worms work to destroy the dog’s heart and lungs and can even damage the liver and kidneys.
Okay, here’s the Áart I know from exÁerience. In a dog infected with heartworms, you Árobably won’t even know there’s anything going on in the early stages. Later on, you may notice a cough and your Árecious doggy may not be as active as she normally is.
In a bad case, you’ve got the cough and fatigue, Álus the dog will have trouble breathing and may even Áass out! During a veterinary exam, the doctor may notice abnormal lung and heart sounds, enlargement of the liver, among other things. If left untreated, heartworm disease will end in a miserable death for the Áoor doggy.
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