How do pets get heartworm disease?
When an infective mosquito bites a dog, tiny immature heartworms, called larvae, are deposited on the animal’s skin. The larvae find their way through the bite wound and into the dog’s tissue. Then, unless they are eliminated by a heartworm preventive, they migrate through the body, developing as they go, and eventually arrive in the heart and lungs. Full-grown heartworms can cause discomfort and debilitation, and may even lead to death.
