Heartworms

What are heartworms?
- Heartworms are long worms that live within a pet's heart.
Who gets heartworms?
- Mostly dogs get heartworms, but they can occasionally occur in cats.
How do they get them?
- Infected heartworm larvae are injected through the pet by infected mosquitoes.
How will they affect my pet?
- In dogs, heartworms cause difficulty breathing, heart failure, lung disease, liver disease, joint disease, and problems with the nervous system. In cats, the condition causes respiratory disease and coughing.
What are symptoms of heartworms?
- Increased urination and thirst, weight loss, cough, decreased exercise tolerance, abdominal swelling.
What do I do if my pet gets them?
- Make an appointment at the veterinarian for heartworm treatment, which kills all of the adult heartworms.
What can I do to prevent heartworms?
- Start heartworm prevention at eight weeks of age. It costs as little as $2.50 -$6.00 a month and can save your pet's life!