Heartworms reproduce rapidly inside the body. Heartworms reside in your pup's heart, lungs, and blood vessels, where they cause harmful issues like damage to the organs, serious lung or respiratory disease, and heart failure.

The most frequently-reported signs of heartworm disease include weight loss, vomiting, unwillingness to exercise, fatigue following normal activity, inappetence, and unrelenting cough. As an infection worsens, the signs are likely to become more apparent or more severe. When a dog is in the early stages of a heartworm infection, there may not be any noticeable symptoms. Heartworms can comfortably live inside your dog for five to seven years. These infective larval worms enter their host via the open mosquito bite wound, where they continue to grow for the next six months until they become mature adults. From there, immature worms grow and become larvae in a matter of two weeks or less. A mosquito can bite an infected animal, then do the same to your pup. Heartworms are transmitted in many ways, but the most common way is through biting mosquitoes.

But understanding heartworm disease, its effect on your dog's body, and the related symptoms can play an important role in keeping your pup healthy and protected against this dangerous, sometimes life-threatening ailment. My Profile My Orders My Subscriptions My Rx My Pets My Vets Sign InĪs a pet parent, you've probably heard of heartworms.

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