Heartworms Can Kill Your Dog

 

Dogs can get infected with heartworms if the dog gets bitten by an infected mosquito. Infected mosquitoes acquire the larvae of heartworm (also called the microfilariae) when they suck the blood of heartworm-infected dogs. The larvae of heartworm thrive and mature in the salivary glands of the mosquitoes. From there, the larvae are readily transported to new hosts when the infected mosquitoes go on a feeding or blood-sucking spree. Once inside the new host, the larvae of the heartworm mature inside the tissues of the dog, and then it moves along the bloodstream to the lungs and eventually the pulmonary blood vessels as well as the heart. Once lodged in the dog's heart, adult heartworm can create thousands of microfilariae that can travel through the bloodstream and then eventually siphoned by a new mosquito during a blood-sucking feast, and the cycle repeats. If a dog has a heavy heartworm load in its body, it could have anywhere between 30 to as much as 100 heartworms in the heart and lungs. Work with your veterinarian Pembroke Pines, FL about the best way to protect your pet against heartworms.