Heartworm Treatment
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Frequently Asked Questions

The disease process starts when a mosquito draws blood from an infected animal where tiny, immature worms called microfilaria are circulating in the blood. These microfilaria undergo two molts within the salivary glands of the mosquito before becoming infective larvae which are then transmitted by mosquito bite to your pet. The infective larvae then move to the heart where they grow into adult worms reaching 10-14 inches in length. The adults produce thousands of microfilaria which circulate through the blood vessels ready to start the cycle again. Together, the adults and the microfilaria can damage the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver. Untreated, the infection can cause a wide variety of problems and easily result in death.

We used to think that dogs were the only pets at risk but we now know that cats can be infected, too.