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Even though the old axiom by Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” was originally meant as fire-fighting advice, it is applicable towards the health of your pets. This is especially true on the subject of heartworms in dogs. Curing heartworms can be quite expensive so learning the signs and details of this disease within your animals can save the life of your pet and save big money.

There’s lots of myths how animals are infected but it is important to know that only infected mosquitoes can transfer this disease to your dog. There has been reported cases of heartworms in dogs reported in all 50 states of America as well as most every country on earth. Some veterinarians have told pet owners to not worry as they are in low risk areas however you ought to be wary that there’s a chance your canine friend can get this disease.

Larvae takes about seven months to grow into mature adults in an animal once it has been infected. The worm will take up residence inside the heart, lungs and surrounding blood vessels of the dog. Now they will reproduce in very large numbers. Can you believe that there may be up to 250 worms alive in a single dog? It’s true. Although this is a severe case, it’s not so rare. Besides, it will not take this many to be fatal for your dog.

It’s not all bad news however. People are at a nominal risk to be infected with this worm. Heartworms cannot reach the mature stage of the lifecycle within people. This is the reason they don’t reproduce. When detected, something which resembles a tumor will probably be present in a person’s lungs. The reality is it is really a small lesion.

Finding information about heartworms on the web

Your first question may very well be; can one dog inside my household infect my other pets? The simple answer is no, this could not happen. Infected mosquitoes are the only way a pet could get heartworms. Should your dog is infected and it is bitten by the mosquito which then bites another animal, your canine friend is safe. The other animal will not be infected through the now heartworm carrying insect. There is an incubation period inside the insect once infected. This is the reason your second animal is safe until the mosquito actually becomes a carrier of the parasite.

Heartworms in dogs isn’t something that you should ignore. If you do not treat your pet that has been infected, that animal can die. Don’t wait. You’ll only have to spend around fifty dollars, more or less based on the size of your pet, to prevent heartworms in dogs. Should you wait till your pet is infected it will be very costly.

Curing heartworms in dogs is not simple

Treating heartworms in dogs is crazy. It will cost a lot of money removing the parasite when by spending just a little in the way of prevention could save all that hassle. Tapeworms, whipworms and roundworms can be prevented as modern day medicines add some treatment for these infestations at the same time. Keeping your animal safe and healthy is less difficult and you will be very thankful with the savings.