1. By: Kelsy Edwards kelsy.henry@smail.astate.edu
Heartworm Disease
By: Kelsy Edwards

2. What is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm disease is a serious disease that results in lung, heart and other organ failure.
Heartworm disease is spread through ONE bite of a mosquito on a dog that is not on heartworm preventive.

3. Heartworm Disease Facts
Heartworms that live in the lungs or blood vessels can grow more than 12 inches long
Heartworm parasites live between 5-7 years in a dog
The parasites are transmitted from one dog to another by the bite of an infected mosquito
Heartworms live in the right side of the heart
Significant damage is done before pets show signs or symptoms
Heartworm disease is detected by a small blood sample taken at your Vets Office

4. Lifecycle of a Heartworm
Female mosquito takes blood from infected host
Mosquito feeds on a dog
The larvae then molts under the skin of the new host (your dog)
Over days the larvae migrate into juvenile adults
They move into the blood vessels and turn into sexually active adults
The adult heartworm then breeds and releases immature heartworms in to the blood steam in 6-9 months after infection by mosquito

5. Pesky Mosquitos
It only takes ONE infected mosquito bite to transmit heartworms
Over 70 species of mosquitos can transmit the disease
Indoor pets can be bitten as well
Carry human diseases like Malaria and Zika
Earliest case of Heartworm Disease was in South America in 1847
This is NOT new and they are NOT leaving!

6. Top 3 Heartworm Positive States
#1 Louisiana
#2 Mississippi
#3 ARKANSAS

7. What Do We Do?
Fortunately, this disease is ENTIRELY preventable through the use of monthly heartworm prevention.
Yearly testing is recommended to ensure your pet is heartworm free.
Prevention is almost 100% effective when used properly.
Prevention can be purchased from your Veterinarian.

8. Heartworm Preventative
Available/Administered by Licensed Veterinarians ONLY
Topically
Orally
Injectable
Advantage Multi (topical)
Heartgard (oral)
Trifexis (oral)
Proheart (Injection)
Heartworm prevention must be given YEAR ROUND

9. Heartworm Disease Prevention Treatment Easy Pain free Affordable
Much easier to prevent heartworms from infecting your dog than it is to treat your infected dog
Prolonged
Expensive
Painful
15 times more costly than 1 year of heartworm preventative

10. Heartworm Disease Treatment
After treatment
Immiticide is injected next to the spine
Takes several months to kill the heartworms
Strict confinement and bed rest
Pets are not immune and still require year round prevention
Damage has still been done the to the heart and lungs
May need to continue supportive therapy and therapeutic diets

11. Heartworms I dissected from a deceased heartworm positive dog

12. April is Heartworm Disease Prevention Month.
Our Pets, Our Family
Spread the word… NOT heartworms

13. Sources