Why its important to test for heartworm disease?
Heartworm disease is a serious infection caused by a parasite that lives in your dog’s heart. Because the infection is spread by infected mosquitoes, there is no vaccination for heartworm disease. However, there are tests and medication to help protect your dog from this potentially fatal disease. EFFECT: Serious damage has already been done to your dog’s heart and other vital organs before symptoms of heartworm disease appear: coughing, fatigue, labored breathing, and general weakness. Any additional infection will place even more stress on an infected dog’s weakened system, exaggerating the symptoms of usually simple illnesses. Left untreated, a dog infected with heartworms will die from the damage. CAUSE: When an infected mosquito bites a dog, the eggs or larvae travel through the dog’s bloodstream and into the heart. After about three months, they mature into adult heartworms. The adult female worms can grow to ten inches long, clogging the heart’s chambers. Within three more month
