Heartworms and Your Dog’s Health

Your dog faces a surprisingly large amount of health issues, ones that you probably never imagined you’d actually have to deal with, but the truth is that your dog is a living organism, one that likes to get into quite a bit of trouble now and again, one that spends time outdoors and that interacts with other living beings. This can result in a lot of fun and play for your dog, but sometimes illness and ill-health can follow such behaviors. It’s up to you to watch for such illnesses in your dog and get them to a veterinarian when appropriate, such as in the case of heartworms!

Catch it Early

Heartworms is something you hear about, but probably don’t know too much about. The disease is serious and quite possibly fatal to those who contract it. It’s caused by worms that can measure up to a foot (or sometimes more!) that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of pets. By virtue of living in these spaces, they can cause lung disease, heart failure, and severe damage to your pet’s body. Dogs are the natural host of the heartworm, and can suffer from damage to their heart, lungs, and other organs for years, while also struggling with a reduced quality of life due to heartworms.

Treat it Fast

Generally speaking, heartworms are transferred by mosquitos, those pesky buggers, and so it can be quite the ubiquitous disease. You should have your dog tested whenever he or she shows any sign of the disease, and then treated if they do in fact have the disease. Don’t worry; the medicine for heartworms is relatively affordable and widely available, as this is a condition that afflicts many dogs (as well as cats!). The sooner you catch the disease, however, the more likely you are to avoid lasting damage to your pet.