Going to the outdoors is always a good way to exercise your dog and get some fresh air to get the heart pumping. However, areas where mosquitoes reign the evening air, bringing the dog out may be more of a threat than a health benefit. Heartworm disease or Dirofilaria immitis is a sneaky disease caused by a parasite in the blood that may manifest itself after a long period of time after the onset. It is definitely a killer and the thought of having worms clogging your dog’s heart is just horrible and painful.

The disease begins when the heartworm-transmitting mosquito bites the dog and leaves the parasite in the bloodstream to incubate for some time, maybe even days. Since they are already in the bloodstream, the parasites are carried throughout the whole body until they land themselves in the heart and eventually reaching the right ventricle. This is where the growth in numbers start as well as the deterioration of the dog’s health. These parasites thrive on the nutrients in the blood and can grow up to 12 inches in length and can live off the dog for years. As the heart starts to weaken, so do the other vital organs in the body. Coughing is always the first symptom of the disease but owners can sometimes dismiss it as it’s just a cough. Weakness and weight loss would be the next obvious sign as well as the coughing up of blood as the heartworm has already been doing serious damage. The heartworm creates havoc by affecting the veins of the body and causing not just the lungs and heart to shut down but the liver as well.

The disease can be detected via blood tests to determine the presence of microfilariae as well as x-rays to check if they have inhabited the lungs and heart. Immiticide or an arsenic compound can be administered to eliminate the heartworm before it can cause more harm. However, prevention of the disease is better than treatment as well as having the correct information in protecting the dog. Since the disease is seasonal, it gives owners the timeline to best prepare for it. Injections and oral medications are available and should be given on a monthly basis during the peak season of heartworm. Try asking the vet for vaccines such Ivermectin, Milbemycin, Lufenuron, and Selamectin.

Proper education and information regarding heartworm disease should be studied and taken seriously by dog owners. Imagine how they would feel with a worm living in them for so long and growing to such sizes.