Heartworm – Dirofilaria immitis, is to put it bluntly, one of the major causes of death for Dogs, throughout the world. It is reported that at any one time, in excess of 20 million dogs are infected with the condition.

This graphic photo shows a dogs heart with a major infestation. This disease can and will kill your pet unless preventative steps are taken to avoid infestation.

Heartworms are a parasite that live in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs. There are many different mammals that are affected by the condition but canines are the perfect host for this parasite.

The immature larva of the heartworms are ingested by mosquitoes whilst feeding and remain in the mosquitoes stomach for approximately 2 weeks. During this period the heartworm parasite matures and is transmitted to a host when the mosquito is feeding. After returning to a canine host, over the next four to six months they work there way through the dogs body, growing in length. Eventually the worms end up in the canines heart.

At this stage the worm is generally about 12 inches long, has become sexually active and produces a large number of larva. These larva are then picked up by a feeding mosquito and the disease cycle continues. It should be noted that the infected dog may have as few as 5 worms, but possibly hundreds of heartworms at any one time.

Adult heartworms feed by absorbing nutrients from the blood of the infected dog. At this stage the dog’s immune system will try to fight the invading parasite but this is futile and  often results in collateral damage to the blood vessels and lungs.

In severe cases large numbers of heartworms can block the major vessels entering and leaving the the heart. This can cause numerous dangerous conditions, including high blood pressure, bleeding into the lungs, kidney and liver problems. There are many deaths from these conditions and they are not always attributed to Heartworms.

Heartworm is a treatable disease and involves the use of an arsenic based compound.  Although uncommon, there are deadly side effects with the medication and some dogs succumb to blood clots in the lungs as the adult heartworms die.

If your dog is infected with heartworm and you decide to implement treatment, you can anticipate that the cost will be well over $500 and probably upwards of $1000, with no guarantee of success. It is imperative that you prevent the disease and ensure your canine friend has a long and healthy life.

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