Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite, Dirofilaria immitis, which lives in the arteries of the lungs and in the right side of the heart. Heartworm disease occurs primarily in dogs, but can occur in cats as well as other animals on rare occasions.
The transmission of heartworm begins with a dog that is already infected with the disease. The heartworm circulates through the dog’s blood, and when a mosquito feeds off of a dog with it in its blood stream, the mosquito becomes a potential carrier of heartworm.
Visible signs of heartworm disease may not appear until a full year after being bitten by infected mosquitoes.
Heartworm disease can be a devastating condition for your dog. Early detection can mean the difference between life and death. Tests are available that can help to identify infestation by the heartworm parasite.
Heartworm disease treatment for dogs is expensive and involves some risk to the animals. Much of the damage caused by heartworms occurs before there are any outward signs of the disease. An arsenical compound is used to kill adult heartworms in dogs. One dog in twenty may be expected to die as a result of complications from this therapy.