Only serious answers please. What are the exact symptoms of heart worm disease?
How does the infestation happen? Does it first go through the stomach and then to the heart?
Dogs - 6 Answers
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1 :
i always thought it was from fleas the poop out worms the dont want to eat its a very serious even deadly problem if u sespect your dog has them take it to the vet if u cathc them early enough u can get rid of them good luck
2 :
Heartworms go through several life stages before they become adults infesting the heart of the host animal. The worms require the mosquito as an intermediate stage in order to complete their life cycle and so at least two animal hosts other than the mosquito are required for the heartworm to reproduce. A mosquito ingests heartworm larvae, called microfilariae, from an infected host. The mosquito then transfers the larvae to another uninfected host when next it feeds. The microfilariae then go through several changes to reach adult form, eventually traveling to the right side of the heart to reproduce. Reproduction results in the dispersal of microfilariae into the bloodstream where ingestion by another feeding mosquito spreads the microfilariae to another host. At this stage, the host dog will likely be asymptomatic. Once the infestation reaches a certain concentration in the lungs, the now adult worms migrate from the pulmonary artery to the right side of the heart and begin to reproduce in earnest, filling the blood with microfilariae. At this point the host will begin to show symptoms of infestation. These symptoms can manifest earlier or increase in severity depending on the activity level of the animals as infestation reduces cardio-pulmonary capacity. Very active animals may experience symptoms at lower heartworm concentrations and have more severe symptoms than less active animals. Heartworms can reach up to 12 inches in length and can remain in the host's heart for several years.
3 :
Hi, Check out these websites: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/hartworm.html http://www.heartwormsociety.org/CanineHeartwormInfo.htm http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?id=53
4 :
coughing is the first symptom....dry cough and lethargy.....disease is caused by an infected mosquito biting a dog(untreated dog) the worms lodge and grow in the heart and eventually cause heart problems and death. the process takes a few years, but most dogs will die within 5 yrs. treamtment is expensive but is at least 95% effective with immiticide
5 :
heartworm prevention is so much cheaper and less stress than treating a dog for the disease. takes at least a min of 6mo from exposure to test postive for heartworm since it's in the blood stream. does not go thru stomach, this is a blood to heart disease. a mosquito can bite a cat or a coyote that has heartworm and then bite your unprotected dog and pass it along. extended periods of coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite, heavy breathing. as the worms become adults and reproduce the more will fill the heart, it's like being suffocated slowly. please get your pets tested and protected.
6 :
First off, usually by the time you notice symtoms of heartworms...the infection is awful and there is nothing you can do. That is why Vets recommend heartworm testing annually and heartworm prevention tablets once a month. Heartworms are transmitted thru a infected mosquitoe, that is why something like Advantix ( a liquid you apply monthly to prevent fleas, ticks and mosquitoes) is a good choice. Symtoms included....lethargy, bleeding from mouth and nose, bloated stomach...and just over all slowing down. The heartworms litterally take over the heart, the heart becomes so infested with heartworms, the blood can fit thru the arteries! If caught early, it IS treatable...good luck to you
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