Myths and facts about heartworms in dogs

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Myths And Facts About Heartworms In Dogs
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Introduction
Heartworms in dogs are deadly worms that cling
around the dogs heart, lungs, liver and the
blood vessels surrounding these organs. These
common parasites are transmitted through a
mosquito bite. They take around seven months to
mature inside the dogs body and gain a length
of around 12 inches. In the last reproductive
stage of their life cycle, they stay permanently
in the host animals heart. They cause severe
diseases that may prove fatal. Worst result
includes the death of the infected dog.
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Introduction
Although, heartworms are not uncommon in dogs but
there is hype surrounding them which makes the
pet parents highly worried. The fear of their
pets contracting heartworms makes them
terrified. Preventing heartworms in dogs is
always more affordable than treating them. It not
only saves the budget but also saves the pet
from painful and cumbersome situations. The basic
problem is that there are several myths about
heartworms in dogs This wrong information leads
to confusion, and corrective absolute information
lead to solution. Veterinarian guidance and
proper pet hygiene are the basic tools in dealing
with these worms.
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Symptoms Of Heartworms
If your dog goes through coughing, weight loss,
exhaustion, lethargy, unwillingness to play or
exercise, unusual lung sounds, pale gums, bloody
urine, fainting, breathlessness, enlarged heart,
enlarged lungs, enlarged abdomen etc. then it is
the time you need to get him checked by a
veterinarian. Gathering information is a good
step but please check for the accuracy of it.
Many pet owners become victims of incorrect
information and then end up giving wrong
treatments.
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Common myths about dog heartworms
Heartworms exist in few areas only It is
commonly said that heartworms are found in a few
states of America only. Well, this is an
absolutely incorrect information. According to
the statistics, dog heartworms are found in all
50 states of the United States of America. So,
if your pet shows any heartworm symptoms then the
best measure is to get him checked for the
infection.
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Heartworms are endemic
NO! These worms are not contagious and do not
spread from one animal to another or to humans.
They spread only through mosquito bite. If a
mosquito has previously bitten an infected dog
and then bites another one then there are fair
chances of transmitting the infection to the
other dog.
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Heartworms are found only in dogs
This is a myth! Heartworms are found in cats as
well. Worms love furry canines and felines and
can infect any breed of them. Be it any age or
breed of dog or cat, he or she has a fair chance
of contracting these worms through a mosquito
bite.
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No heartworms in puppies and kittens
It is another wrong knowledge about heartworms.
Puppies and kittens do not have immunity towards
heartworms. Pet parents need to start cats and
dogs heartwormers from an early age of a few
weeks. Get veterinarian guidance about when to
start these preventives to save your pet from
these deadly worms.
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No dog heartwormers in winters
Again a myth! Mosquitoes bite pets in all seasons
be it warm spring or summer season or the cold
winters. They can catch hold of dogs and cats at
any time and thus need to be prevented in all
seasons. In addition, heartworm preventives
should be administered to the pet in all seasons
across the year to give him impeccable protection
against these worms and diseases caused by them.
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Indoor dogs are safe from heartworms
Many pet parents hold the opinion that if the pet
lives a predominantly indoor life then he has
less chances of catching a heartworm infection.
This is again a wrong notion that dogs that live
an indoor life have no chance of heartworms.
Pests like mosquitoes can enter the house any
time leaving little room to save the pets from
them. Therefore, the best way to safeguard pets
is to give them preventives and medications.
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Monthly preventives are enough
Studies suggest that monthly preventives can
protect the pet from being infected with new
worms. The next big question here is what about
those worms that are already existing in the
pets system? Well, they need to be killed by a
proper treatment in order to stop them from
damaging the pets internal system. Therefore,
pet parents need to be cautious and meticulous
about destroying these parasites. Consulting a
veterinarian is the best idea.
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Precautions for preventing heartworms
Once all these facts are known, pet owners must
take considerable measures to keep mosquitoes
away from the house. Most natural ways of doing
this is by planting plants that repel mosquitoes
in the house. Lavender, lemongrass and rosemary
have a strong repelling effect on mosquitoes.
Make sure your garden has all these plants. Their
dry leaves can be hung around the curtains to
deter mosquitoes from entering the room.
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Moreover, take veterinarian advice and start
giving heartworm preventives to the pet from an
early age. Consult the veterinarian for other
options for dog treatments for heartworms. Be
proactive about seasonal changes and brace
yourself for getting rid of heartworms in dogs.
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