OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – If you haven’t noticed, the mosquitoes are out and about. And while they can be annoying for us, they can be deadly for our pets.
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes that bite an infected dog or cat and then bite and transfer the larvae to healthy animals. The larvae go to the heart and mature into adult worms. If not treated, the worms will damage the heart, killing the dog.
At NHS, we treat the disease, but it’s expensive and unpleasant for the dogs. Treatment requires two deep-muscle injections followed by two months of rest while the body reabsorbs the parasite. Any exercise can send a worm clot into a dog’s lungs and kill the dog. That means no activity — no play dates — for one to two months. Think about how your dog would react to that…