|
A mosquito bite can be more than just an itchy annoyance at times. The right single mosquito bite could be lethal to your pet if heartworm is transmitted to it.
It can take months before heartworm symptoms become apparent and thus heartworm is often referred to as a “Silent Killer”.
Heartworm is a parasitic disease that can affect any dog regardless of age or habitat, and though less frequently, cats too.
It’s spread by mosquitos and is now found in virtually every part of the United States and Canada.
Heartworms live in the blood of a dog’s heart and the adjacent blood vessels. They grow from 4 to 12 inches in length, and reach maturity about a year after the infection occurred. Their life span, undisturbed or treated, is in the order of 5 to 7 years. They also produce offspring which circulate in the animals blood and throughout their body.
A mosquito biting an animal with such offspring will suck them up into its own body, and then deposit them into the body of their next victim by again biting that victim. Thus, once more the cycle begins all over again.
Canine heartworm symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, fatigue, listlessness, weight loss and rough hair coat.
A simple blood test by your veterinarian can easily verify the presence of heartworms. So please, have your pets tested if you note the symptoms mentioned above, or just as a general rule the next time you visit the vet.
Author: Website Manager, based on veterinarian supplied literature.
|
