Parasite
Heartworms are parasites ( Dirofilaria immitis ) that spread through mosquito bites, from host to host. The main owners of heartworms are dogs, but sometimes heartworms can infect other animals, such as cats, coyotes, foxes, wolves and other animals.
Although some infected dogs do not develop heartworm disease and carry larvae on the skin or in their body, most dogs develop heartworm disease, which will affect their lungs and heart.
Symptoms
Symptoms of heartworm disease can be very extreme, from muscle pain to death.
Pulmonary artery injury After infecting a dog, heartworms can quickly settle in the pulmonary arteries. The presence of a strange body will create an inflammation of the area, which will lead to more serious damage over long periods, such as aneurysms and blood clotting, which will reduce the space available for blood and oxygen, therefore the absence of oxygenation in the dog's lungs. The result: constant fatigue, a lot of coughing, bleeding from the nose, or even pulmonary eosinophilic granulomatosis.
Heart failure If the worms are in the infected dog's heart arteries, these arteries will shut up and the heart will have to work harder to compensate for the lack of blood flow, creating hypertension. In more severe cases, the heart may begin to react differently, leading to disruption of normal heart contractions. This can cause arrhythmia and lead to the sudden death of the dog.
Chronic inflammation. The immune system of an infected dog is caused by the presence of heartworms. This will chronically send antibodies, leading to chronic inflammation near the area where the heartworms are located. In the long run, chronic inflammation can cause destruction and damage to surrounding cells, causing great pain for the dog.
Kaval syndrome The caval syndrome is an acute variant of heartworm disease. In rare cases, heartworms can breed up to 100 and completely fill the heart of an infected dog. Caval syndrome usually occurs because an infected animal does not show signs of heart disease prior to the caval syndrome, therefore it does not allow the owner to treat his animal. Due to the severity of the disease, the dog will collapse and die within 1 or 2 days without surgery.
Other possible syndromes In rare cases, heartworm larvae can migrate to unusual places, such as the eye, brain, or foot. Unusual symptoms, such as blindness, cramps, and difficulty with movement, may occur.
The use of drug treatment is important that pets, especially dogs, do not become infected with heartworms.
Go to the Heartworm Medicine for Dogs Organization website to learn more about heartworms, symptoms, diagnosis, and available treatments.
