Heartworm Disease
What is heartworm disease? Why do we recommend testing for it yearly? Learn more here. Understanding the risks, causes, and importance of early detection can help keep your pet healthy year-round.
What Is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm disease is caused by parasitic worms transmitted through mosquito bites. Once infected, the worms grow and live in the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels, leading to severe lung disease, heart failure, and damage to other organs if left untreated.
This condition is especially prevalent in warm, humid areas like Florida, where mosquitoes are active nearly all year.
How Pets Get Heartworms
Heartworms are spread when a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae bites your pet. Just one bite is all it takes. Over time, these larvae mature into adult worms that can grow up to 12 inches long and number in the dozens—especially in dogs. Cats can also become infected, though symptoms may be more subtle or harder to detect.
Why Yearly Heartworm Testing Matters
Heartworm disease can can cause devastating damage to your pet’s cardiovascular system if not prevented, and the unfortunate truth is that even pets on heartworm prevention can be exposed if a dose is missed or delayed.
For the most reliable protection, Whitehouse Animal Hospital recommends yearly heartworm testing as part of your pet’s routine wellness care. Early detection offers the best chance for successful treatment and can prevent irreversible damage to your pet’s heart and lungs.
Annual testing is:
- Quick and easy
- Performed in-house during routine exams
- Essential for keeping prevention effective and safe
With just a quick bit of prevention as part of your pet’s yearly wellness visits, you can keep them fully protected against extensive health problems.
Learn More with These Videos
To better understand heartworm disease and how to protect your pet, we recommend watching these two helpful videos: