Heartworm Life Cycle

In order to understand how to prevent the infestation of heartworms in your dog, you need to be aware of how the heartworm life cycle actually works.

Heartworms are life-threatening parasites that, if left untreated, will eventually kill your dog. People who live in colder climates are lulled into believing that their pets aren't at risk from heartworms. They reason that since they don't live in the southern states where mosquitoes are the most prevalent, their dogs are safe from infestation. This, however, isn't true. While some states, like Alaska, may not experience the broad mosquito population that is found in warmer climates, the risk is still there and the spread of heartworms can occur, particularly from animals that are traveling with their owners from other more heartworm-prone states. Mosquito carriers of these parasites are found almost everywhere in the world.

How can you be sure your dog is protected from heartworms? The most definitive way to do this is to keep your dog on heartworm prevention medicine all year long. While some owners seek to save money by only giving their dogs the preventative medication during the warmer months when mosquitoes are more widespread, what they are actually doing is putting their dogs at greater risk. Once a dog contracts heartworms, the treatment is expensive and intensive, lasting several months. In the long run, they may end up spending much more money in the treatment of heartworms than they would have spent on year round prevention.

While most people understand that heartworms are caused by a mosquito bite, many pet owners don't understand the heartworm life cycle. Understanding the life cycle of this parasite will help you see the importance of preventative treatment for your beloved pet. The cycle of a heartworm is as follows:

1. A mosquito bites an infected animal, such as a dog, fox, cat, wolf, coyote or some other animal.
2. As the mosquito feeds off the host animal, it ingests the heartworm microfilaria.
3. The microfilaria mature for approximately two weeks depending on the temperature. Colder temperatures will slow down the maturation of the larvae.
4. The microfilaria continue to develop into an infective stage larvae while still in the mosquito.
5. The mosquito bites an animal and transfers the larvae that then travels into the bloodstream as it matures.
6. As the heartworm works its way towards the heart, it continues to develop. This typically takes several months and until a heartworm reaches its adult stage, it can be difficult to detect.
7. If the heartworms aren't treated, the adult worms can live in a host animal for several years, reproducing and seriously affecting the animal's heart and lungs.

• Heartworms can reach sexual maturity in as little as three months, and they can continue to reproduce for several years in the host animal.
• Adult heartworms are typically found in the right ventricle of the heart, as well as in the host animal's blood supply.
• The number of the microfilaria isn't directly related to the number of heartworms in an animal since sexually mature heartworms continue to reproduce.
• Heartworms have been found to grow as long as a foot or even longer!
• In some cases, infected animals have been known to harbor more than 100 heartworms.
• Besides the heart and lungs, heartworms can also infect other areas of the body, such as the stomach, brain, liver, spinal cord and even the eyes.
• Heartworms are only transmitted by female mosquitoes.
• The concentration of microfilaria in the blood can vary depending upon the season, with the summer months registering a higher concentration than the winter months.

Once you understand the heartworm life cycle, it is easy to see how important heartworm prevention medicine is for your dog's health. Before you can begin your dog on any heartworm medicine. However, your vet will need to check your dog for the presence of heartworms. Once you've begun a preventative regimen on your pet, keep him on it year round for the best protection.

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