How Dogs Get Heartworms
Dog owners’ often have the same concern, how dogs get heartworms. Dogs get heartworms through the bite of an infected mosquito. Pets cannot get heartworms from another infected animal. The only way for your pet to get heartworms, is if they git bitten by an infected mosquito.
Heartworm disease is a treacherous disease that causes heart failure, lung disease, and organ damage to animals they’ve infected. When left untreated, heartworm disease is fatal. Heartworms can be found in cats and ferrets but are most found in dogs. This is why the question of how dogs get heartworms is so common. The dog becomes the definitive host after being bitten by an infected mosquito. So, the worms will mature, mate, and produce offspring while living inside the dog. This makes the mosquito the intermediate host, meaning that the worms live inside a mosquito for a short transition period while evolving into infectious stage.
In the U.S., heartworms in dogs have been reported in all 50 states. However, heartworm disease is most common along the East Coast and Gulf Coast. Places with high humidity and bodies of water have more cases of heartworms because these places have more mosquitoes. Professionals agree that prevention is the best way to protect your pet from heartworms. In addition to Preventative Heartworm Medication such as Heartgard or Trifexis, Preventative Mosquito Control in your yard is an efficient way to reduce the risk of heartworms for your pet.
If you live in the Charleston, SC area and are looking for Mosquito Prevention for your property, contact us here or call us at (843) 795-6767!
For more information about heartworms from the American Heartworm Society, click here. Always consult a veterinarian for emergencies.