Heartgard

The symptoms manifest slowly. At first, heartworm disease shows zero visibility in its early stage. The young parasite remains dormant in the blood of the dog, just loitering there for the right time. Then, finally, heartworm disease strikes mercilessly, giving the dog traumatic physical changes leading to its most fatal stage.

Heartworm disease starts with the parasite’s larva called microfilariae. The larva stays in the dog. In this stage, the parasite is yet harmless and dormant. It may remain thus for years, waiting to be sucked up and out of the dog by a biting mosquito. Heartworm disease needs this second hosting to fully grow. Once in the mosquito, the larva initially develops into adolescence. Heartworm disease larvae can remain in mosquitoes from 10 days to 6 months, taking longer in cold climates.

When the mosquito bites a dog, the larva is transferred to this dog and signals the full swing development of the larva to maturity, becoming a full-gown heartworm disease. The heartworm can grow to as much as 12 inches long and loop around major organs like the heart, lungs, liver, and intestines. Being parasites, heartworm disease slowly feeds on the innards of the dog. As the heartworm disease worsens (more mature heartworms), the manifestations begin to show. Heartworm disease may render the dog very weak, with extreme difficulty in breathing, weight loss, loss of appetite, and harrowing changes in appearance. By then, any anti heartworm disease treatment will have been futile.

Heartworm disease must be treated before it sets in. The only effective treatment is preventive. Dogs must first be tested for an anti heartworm disease medication (often in flavored pills and chewable). If no allergic reaction occurs, the dog must first be de-wormed. Then the anti heartworm disease treatment starts, supervised by a licensed veterinarian. Mostly, anti heartworm disease drugs are available only from licensed veterinarians. Then the heartworm disease treatment goes on every month for several years.

Remember, the more there are untreated dogs around the more heartworm disease is likely to spread. Heartworm disease proliferates while there are hosts that welcome them, and while these hosts remain vulnerable. Heartworm disease also remains active where mosquitoes abide in abundance. A warm climate is more susceptible to heartworm disease.

Heartworm disease is a deadly pestilence among dogs. It does not show any symptom until everything is too late. Heartworm disease is in its most fatal stage when the heartworms are full grown and have multiplied enough. It’s only remedy is a preventive treatment.

Tags: Heartworms, Cat Meds, K9, Cats, Heartworm