As the name suggestions, it is a worm that lives around your pet’s heart. While everyone knows about fleas, ticks and worms, this is an infection that is much more difficult to detect and very hard to treat. They are a tiny worm that may be carried by a wandering fox or coyote, and when transmitted by mosquitoes they grow in the blood stream. As they grow they also accumulate in internal organs such as heart, lungs and blood vessels causing permanent and even fatal damage.
Pets infected with heartworm show symptoms such as lethargy, panting, struggling to breath, losing weight and a dry coughing caused by the growing worms. In dire situations, worms that get lost during migration through the bloodstream can cause seizures and blindness.
And while heartworm can be diagnosed with a simple blood test, treatment for heartworm infection is painful, expensive and often ineffective because much of the damage has already been done. The treatment may even be fatal if the infection has spread too far.
In this case, defense is the best offense! The heartworm season often starts in May as the weather begins to warm, therefore we recommend testing and starting prevention medication in April. The 16th Avenue Animal Hospital in Markham has early bird specials on testing, and can help you choose a medication based on your family’s lifestyle.