210-349-3969

Call for an appointment

Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Driving Force
    • Hours of Operation
    • Inspiration
    • Open Requisition
    • Press Releases
  • FAQs
    • Dental Health for your Pet
      • What is Periodontal Disease?
      • Signs and Symptoms of Periodontal Disease
      • Four stages of periodontal disease
      • Periodontal Disease: Prevention & Treatment
    • Heartworm Disease FAQ
      • What is heartworm disease?
      • How is the disease spread?
      • What animals can get heartworm disease?
      • Prevention
      • Which preventative is right for me?
    • What to expect when you bring your cat for a visit
      • Taking your cat to the vet
      • What should you bring?
      • What to expect before you see the Vet
      • What to expect during your cat’s exam
  • Services
    • Online Pharmacy
    • Products

How is the disease spread?

It takes just one bite of an infected mosquito for the heartworm parasite (Dirofilaria immiti) to travel through your pet’s bloodstream and cause a deadly parasitic infection in your pet’s heart.

  1. An uninfected mosquito bites a heartworm-positive animal and ingests heartworm larvae (microfilariae) along with their blood.
  2. These larvae can take 10 to 28 days to develop inside of the mosquito.
  3. Once the larvae reach their infective stage, the mosquito can pass these deadly larvae into the bloodstream of any uninfected dog or cat that they bite.
  4. After just one bite from an infective mosquito, the microfilariae begin to migrate through the bloodstream into the animal’s heart.
  5. It can take 2-4 months before they reach the heart or lungs, and an additional 2 months for them to develop into adult heartworms.
  6. Within 6-7 months after the initial infection, adult female heartworms begin to shed microfilaria into the pet’s bloodstream – and the cycle starts again.

Recent Comments

    Archives

    Categories

    • No categories

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    About ACGSVH

    All Creatures Great & Small Veterinary Hospital in San Antonio is devoted to the medical care and treatment of all companion animals, including exotic pets (birds, reptiles and small mammals). We provide high-quality, diagnostic medicine and advanced treatment for all animals, and give each animal the compassion they deserve. You can trust that your pet is safe in our hands.

    ACGSVH

    11015 Belair Drive, San Antonio, Texas

    Phone:210-349-3969

    E-mail:eMail@ACGSVH.com

    Website:http://acgsvh.com

    © 2015-2019 Nine Eight Suited, LLC. All Rights Reserved
    Design by Nine Eight Suited, LLC