Bite Me! (I'm on Preventative!)

Warmer weather is finally here and with it comes mosquitoes. Those pesky blood-sucking insects annoy us and spread deadly heartworm disease to our furry friends -- and both cats and dogs are at risk!

How are heartworms transmitted? Each time a mosquito bites its victim it puts down a little drop of mosquito "spit" which spit keeps the victim's blood from clotting. Heartworm larvae are contained in the "spit" and enter the pet's bloodstream through the bite hole. Over the next several months the larvae develop into a worm and migrate to the final destination -- the pet's heart.

Cats are extremely sensitive and can die from just one heartworm larvae. Conversely, dogs can handle multiple heartworms initially with little or no impairment. However, after a few months the heartworms gradually debilitate a dog resulting in congestive heart failure and death.

Heartworm prevention is quite simple, extremely effective, and relatively inexpensive. Conversely heartworm treatment is painful, difficult and costly. Current preventatives require only monthly administration and often treat heartworms, fleas, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites in just a single dose.

Source: lansingstatejournal.com