{"id":48,"date":"2016-05-23T13:44:52","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T18:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:s\/\/www.mybeevet.com\/blog\/?p=48"},"modified":"2024-09-09T08:38:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T13:38:19","slug":"heartworm-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mybeevet.com\/blog\/heartworm-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heart Of The Matter: The Importance Of Heartworm Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ABy now, most of us are aware of the potential for disease that can occur from a mosquito bite. Mosquitos can transmit a host of dangerous infections to humans, and most of us do what we can to prevent ourselves from being bitten and heartworm prevention.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even our pets are not immune to the dangers of mosquito-borne disease, but unlike us, they can\u2019t stop themselves from being bitten. Because dangerous illnesses such as heartworm disease are transmitted via mosquito and affects dogs and cats in all 50 states, we pet owners need to take matters into our own hands when it comes to protecting our pets.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Heartworm Disease?<\/b><\/h3>\n

This extremely <\/span>serious,<\/span><\/a> and sometimes fatal, mosquito borne illness is as scary as it sounds. Once an infected mosquito has bitten a pet, tiny worms called microfilariae, enter the bloodstream. Over a period of months to years, the worms invade the heart, lungs, and related blood vessels of an infected animal, and can grow up to a foot in length. <\/span><\/p>\n

Many pets don\u2019t show any signs of heartworm infection, which is why yearly heartworm testing is so important. If the disease is severe enough, symptoms may include:<\/span><\/p>\n