{"id":609,"date":"2018-06-06T14:57:12","date_gmt":"2018-06-06T20:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lonetreevet.com\/blog\/?p=609"},"modified":"2022-03-30T07:30:38","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T13:30:38","slug":"the-ins-and-outs-of-heartworm-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lonetreevet.com\/blog\/the-ins-and-outs-of-heartworm-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ins and Outs of Heartworm Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MosquitoMost pet owners are familiar with or have heard about <\/span>heartworm disease<\/span><\/a>. Heartworms are mosquito-borne, blood-dwelling parasites that make their home in the pulmonary artery, a major blood vessel between the heart and lungs, wreaking havoc on the cardiovascular systems of dogs and cats.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully, we have many safe, effective options available for our pets that can almost eliminate the chance of infection when properly administered. You probably give your dog or cat a heartworm preventive as recommended by our veterinarians at <\/span>Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center<\/span><\/a>. Since heartworm preventives are commonly misunderstood, we\u2019re going to zero in on the heartworm preventives we use, what they do, and why administering them correctly matters for them to work properly in preventing heartworm disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cycle of Life<\/span><\/h3>\n

As with any parasite, understanding how to prevent it begins with understanding its lifecycle. And, understanding the <\/span>lifecycle of the heartworm<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Dirofilaria immitis<\/span><\/i>, is particularly important when trying to get a handle on how heartworm prevention actually works. <\/span><\/p>\n

The cycle begins when a mosquito seeking a blood meal bites a dog that is infected with heartworm disease. The infected dog\u2019s blood contains microscopic larvae (also called microfilaria), which the mosquito ingests. <\/span><\/p>\n

When the infected mosquito bites another dog, the heartworm larvae are transmitted into this new host. These larvae reside in the tissues underneath the skin for 1 to 2 months before moving into the dog\u2019s bloodstream. Once there, the developing larvae continue to grow over the course of 4 to 5 months and reach maturity by 7 to 9 months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although adult heartworms reside primarily in the pulmonary artery, they extend into the heart, lungs and surrounding blood vessels where they can live for up to 7 years, if the infection is left untreated. During this time, these areas will become clogged with worms up to 12 inches long as they continue to grow and multiply. Left untreated, heartworm disease can cause terrible pain and suffering, and eventually be fatal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Preventives Don\u2019t Stop Infection<\/span><\/h3>\n

When we think about <\/span>heartworm prevention<\/span><\/a>, it is often thought that a preventive will stop an infection from even happening. In truth, a heartworm preventive will <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> stop a pet from being infected at the time it is bitten by an infected mosquito. A pet on heartworm prevention bitten by an infected mosquito will, in fact, have live heartworm larvae transmitted into its tissues. It\u2019s what happens after this occurs that determines if this infection will develop into heartworm disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Preventives Actually Work<\/span><\/h3>\n

There are two major types of heartworm preventives \u2014 monthly preventives and the 6-month injectable preventive. Because they work differently in preventing heartworm disease, let\u2019s take a closer look at what this means. <\/span><\/p>\n