Cheap Pet Insurance

October 30th, 2009 by Jennifer Richard

Heartworm larvae is carried by mosquitoes and transmitted to dogs when they bite them. In almost every area in the United States there are periods during the year that mosquitoes are present. If a dog has not been pre-treated to protect them from being infested they can easily be infected with the larvae and for several months or years there may be no symptoms of infestation. By the time that heartworm symptoms in dogs becomes visible it has become a serious condition for the pet.

Many pet owners have their pets treated for heartworms each year during a regular checkup. Being treated before symptoms appear ensures that the pet will not develop heartworms or, if they have been bitten by a mosquito carrying larvae, the larvae will not survive long enough to do any permanent damage.

The rate of dogs who are being infested with heartworms in the United States is so high that it is very important to pre-treat a pet before they are exposed to areas where they may get bitten by mosquitoes. These treatments will insure that the pet does not become ill and require more expensive treatment.

Mosquitoes exist and multiply in any area that has standing water or new construction. There are many cases where mosquitoes will inhabit an area near a pool in a home’s yard. It is very hard to protect a pet from playing in a field or yard where there may be standing water and this water can be a breeding ground for infected mosquitoes.

While the cost of pre-treating a pet for heartworms is very affordable, the treatment for a pet that is showing symptoms of heartworms can be expensive and take a long time to be effective. After an infestation a dog may have heartworms for several years before showing visible signs of the infestation. By this time the heartworms have infected most of the organs of the body and have moved into the heart.

One of the main symptoms that a dog will show when the heartworms have clogged the heart is coughing. The cough will not sound like kennel cough but be more raspy as thought the dog is gasping for air while coughing. A dog may cough so hard that they will cough up blood or pass out in the middle of coughing.

The shortness of breath that a pet exhibits is the result of heartworms in the lungs. The dog will often gradually be unable to breathe as the heartworms continue to multiply in the lungs. They may move their head in different directions trying to find a position that will allow them to get an adequate amount of oxygen.

Because adequate blood cannot flow to the brain the dog will also often lose consciousness and appear very lethargic. They will act very tired and usually will stop eating when they have reached this stage of the illness. They will not be able to walk for any distance and climbing stairs or jumping will be too difficult for them to accomplish without assistance.

Immediate assistance from a vet will include x-rays and diagnosis to determine the extent of the infestation. The vet will treat the dog for several weeks with medication and treatment. Follow-up treatment is usually required for several months and the dog must be kept quite as recovery takes place. The treatment once infestation has reached the point that symptoms are visible can be very expensive.

Want to find out more about Heartworm Symptoms In Dogs, then visit Jennifer Richard’s site on how to choose the best Heartworm Prevention For Dogs for your needs.