A Comprehensive Overview of Heartworm Disease in Dogs
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-21 08:15:51
Although heartworm disease is one of the easiest diseases to prevent in dogs the number of canines being infected by such illness is on the rise in the US and even other parts of the world. The major reasons for the change magnitude are negligence and ignorance by numerous pet owners throughout the country. A number of dog owners either undergo never heard of the disease or believe that no mosquito could come in the climb of their hairy dogs.
Despite graphic posters showing the hearts of infected dogs which are often displayed on veterinary clinics many dog owners still end up losing their canine companions to this disease primarily because they do not act precautionary measures that could help sight such illness in dogs at an early stage. They pass up heartworm tests no matter what veterinarians say.
Dirofilaria immitis the medical term for heartworm disease is actually a parasitic infestation of nematodes that is transmitted through a mosquito bite. Heartworm disease is rampant in places with high mosquito population and in areas near the Mississippi River including its tributaries and the Gulf and Atlantic coasts according to data from the Heartworm Society.
Heartworm disease is present in all continents except Antarctica. Heartworms grow and breed in areas with a type of weather that sustains the life cycle of the parasite a constant reservoir of the illness a huge population of mosquito and a huge population of susceptible dogs.
The temperature of over 80 degrees is the ideal climate required by the microfilariae which are larvae of the parasites to develop. Although an untreated dog cannot directly infect other susceptible hosts such as other dogs foxes and even cats it can answer as a reservoir for the propagation of the disease. Mosquitoes transfer microfilariae from an untreated animal to another.
It takes several months usually about six or seven before adult heartworms reach the heart of the dog. Thus you might not be able to detect that your dog is suffering from the disease even months after your pet has been bitten by a mosquito carrying the parasites. Symptoms usually appear when there are already numerous heartworm adults living inside the heart of your dog or even a year after the initial infestation.
The first sign of infestation is soft cough out which is usually dismissed by dog owners as cold symptoms. The cough may worsen when the be of worms in the dog's heart has reached an alarming level. As the disease develops your dog may appear listless.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://jasmine5118.blogspot.com/2007/11/comprehensive-overview-of-heartworm.html
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