Cause Of Heartworms
Today at the heartworm meds site I am going to answer the question that many pet owners have regarding just how our pets can develop heartworms and hopefully dispel a few myths and allow pet owners to understand just how heartworms are introduced to our animals and what the best course of action is to take.
Obviously this site is here to sell heartworm meds but that in no way will bias the following. It is up to us as owners to decide just whether or not we need to give a medication to guard against this problem. In some areas it is very common for heartworms to appear in our pets, whilst in others the problem is very small. A lot of this is down to climate and other factors such as the levels of still or stagnant water, as we shall now discover:
How Animals Develop Heartworms
There is actually only one possible way for our pets to develop heartworms.
Mosquitoes are the only way that animals are ever given heartworms
There is absolutely no other thing that needs concern us. If a mosquito has bitten an animal that has heartworms then there is a small risk that it will in turn take in to its body very small forms of the heartworm. The chances of this happening depend on the number of mosquitoes as well as the number of animals in the vicinity that may already be infected. Obviously if there are no infected animals or no mosquitoes then there is no need for concern and no need to buy a heartworm medication.
What Happens Next?
If we live somewhere where there are mosquitoes present for part or all of the year then there is a slight risk that our pets will be bitten by an infected mosquito. This will then, in turn, lead to tiny larvae being introduced in to the animal. At this stage this is of absolutely no danger to our pets. In fact, heartworm treatments are designed to simply eliminate these small worms before they become a problem.
There is no heartworm preventative that is 100% efficient. We have meds that can help to deter mosquitoes but none are guaranteed. The only way to stop a pet developing the adult heartworms is to give them a medication before they can become a serious issue.
How Long Will This Take?
After an animal has been bitten and infected with the small larvae it actually takes months and months for them to develop and work their way to the heart. It is at this point that they become a serious and very dangerous issue. You can safely give a treatment a few months after they have been bitten. This is why the meds only need to be given on a monthly basis. The heartworms will never develop enough in this time period to be a danger.
Hopefully this has cleared up a few myths.
If you live in an area that has lots of mosquitoes, or a number of infected animals then a monthly treatment may be in order. If your pet has not been checked for adult heartworms in at least the past three months or so then they need to be given the all clear first. If there is little chance of mosquitoes being present then we must decide for ourselves whether or not we need to medicate for the slight risk that may be present. Animals developing heartworms is not as common as many scaremongers may have us believe but it is a danger in some areas and not so much in others. Think about the environment you live in as well as the risk of the pets getting bitten and make an informed decision.
What we are finding here is that more owners are simply buying the generics which are below $20 for a 6 month supply and giving a pill for each month of the year. This eliminates the need for yearly testing at the vets and means there is absolutely no risk of infection. This is one of the most cost effective courses to take.