These pics are scary...I cannot imagine leaving my tiny pups at risk of these horrible worms. Sometimes I wonder if people really grasp what they are and what they do. Some people seem to focus on the methods of prevention and not on the heartworms themselves....almost as if it is not a real threat.
Anyway...for those interested, here is a picture of heartworms and, then, below that some simple facts and an image from a site that I felt summed it up well:
Heartworm-surgery.jpg Heartworm heartworm.jpg Heartworm Facts
Heartworms can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.
Treatment for heartworm disease can be expensive, lengthy and traumatic
In dogs, heartworm disease can cause breathing problems, heart failure, and death.
In cats, heartworm disease can cause Heartworm-Associated Respiratory Disease(HARD), vomiting, appetite loss, and sudden death.
Adult heartworms can grow to be 10-12 inches in length.
Adult heartworms can live in the heart and lungs for 5 to 7 years.
Heartworm disease is transmitted to your pets by mosquitoes.
There are more than 70 species of mosquitoes that have been shown capable of transmitting heartworm disease.
There is now effective treatment for dogs with heartworm, and heartworm prevention are virtually 100% effective.
Dogs infected with heartworms may not show any signs of disease for 1 to 2 years. By then, the disease may have already damaged the dog’s heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.
Heartworm has been found worldwide and in all 50 states.