NOT just for dogs!

The Facts:

• Heartworm positive pets can spread infection anywhere they go vie mosquitoes.
• Wild animals such as coyotes can become infected and, because they go untreated, may become "reservoirs" spreading infection to other animals vi mosquitoes
• Dogs and Cats have been diagnosed with heartworm disease in all 50 states,
• Nearly 250,000 dogs are reported testing positive each year from heartworm infection.
• Treatment of Heartworm disease can be quite costly to the owner.
• Untreated infections can lead to severe heart/ling/kidney disease- even death.
• BOTH cats and dogs should be tested once a year after 6 months of age.
• If gap in prevention retest before starting prevention therapy

Transmission:

• Larvae deposited on the skin by an infected mosquito develop in dogs and cats, resulting in heartworm disease that is potentially deadly.
• The heartworm larvae migrate through the tissue and into the bloodstream of their new host, continuing to develop as they go.
• Juvenile and adult heartworms primarily live in the pulmonary blood vessels of infected dogs.
• Within 6 months of infection, adult heartworms are present in the pulmonary arteries.
• Killing heartworms poses serious risk to the pet.
• As the companion Animal Parasite Council recommends, the use of heartworm prevention once a month throughout the year is crucial.

Signs of Heartworm Disease in dogs:

• Coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Sluggishness
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Loss of consciousness

Heartworm infection:

• Size of worms- Females up to 12 inches; Males up to 6 inches
• Life span of worms-in dogs- 5 to 7 years
• All stages of the heartworm can live in the pet concurrently.
• Worm burdens of over 100 worms has been reported.

WWW.heartwormsociety.org