Heartworm symptoms are not apparent until your dog's heart has become host to the adult parasitic heartworms. If you make regular yearly visits to your vet, he will be able to test your dog for heartworm and catch the infection early. The early stage of the disease is when the worm larvae are in the bloodstream but have not become lodged in your dog's heart. Failing to get this annual check up may result in the heartworm infection going undetected until the point where you notice symptoms.
It is by understanding how the cycle of heartworm infection progresses that will help you to understand why early diagnosis and treatment is vital. It is mosquitoes that pass the infection to your dog and which can pass the infection from one infected animal to another. A mosquito bites and injects saliva containing heartworm larvae. The number of adult worms your dog may go on to develop depends on the number of larvae in each bite and the number of times he gets bitten. There may be as many as one hundred adult worms clogging the heart of a severely affected dog.
Once larvae have got into the dog's blood through the bites from infection carrying mosquitoes, they begin to grow. Once these larvae mature into adult worms, they attach themselves to the inside of the dog's heart chambers. They clog the heart, blocking the flow of blood to the lungs which will make the dog lethargic and unwilling to play or run and ultimately will result in death.
If you suspect that your dog may have been infected with heartworm from mosquito bites, heartworm symptoms are apparent lethargy and unwillingness to play or run and an unexplained cough which is persistent. Bear in mind that these symptoms are indicative of a number of minor ailments and may not be related to heartworm infection at all. However, it is far better to get your dog checked out as only testing by a veterinarian will be able to reassure you or confirm your fears.
It is so much better to have your dog on a heartworm prevention for dogs treatment program. They type of treatment and the duration will depend on the level of risk in the area where you live and your vet will be able to advise you. Heartworm disease is definitely one medical condition that it is far better to successfully prevent than to attempt a cure once infection has been confirmed.
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