Are you convinced yet?

Imagine YOUR heart looking like this. Imagine the pain. Imagine the worms moving around inside your heart…feeding off of your heart, living in your heart, and slowly killing your heart. This is what an animal goes through when they suffer from heartworm disease…and it doesn’t include the horrendous and excruciating death. Heartworm disease is SERIOUS and DEADLY.

So how does an animal become a victim of  Heartworm Disease? Heartworms come from Mosquitoes. It starts with a mosquito biting an infected animal and becoming infected themselves with microfilariae, the worm’s young. The mosquito then bites another dog or cat and the microfilariae travels into the animal via the bloodstream.

In 6mths they mature, living in the bitten animal from 5-7 years. The worms live in the arteries of the lungs and in the right side of the heart, causing tremendous destruction. In addition, the disease can also end up causing severe problems in other organs, such as the liver and kidneys.

These adult worms also produce more microfilariae which travel throughout the animal’s bloodstream. When a mosquito bites your animal the process starts over; the mosquito lands on another unsuspecting animal, starts feeding, and the microfilariae are transferred. Now this animal is infected, as well.

A monthly preventative, however, can protect your animal from heartworm disease. The preventative is a much cheaper and safer alternative than treating an infected animal. Not to mention, you’re not causing undue harm to your pet. Treatment, or lack of, is very hard and painful on the animal. By offering preventative you limit the risk of infection and suffering.

Heartworm disease is unnecessary and preventable, only costing around $10 a month. You can buy 6 or 12 months worth at a time, saving repeated trips to your veterinarian for the medicine. Not protecting your pet is unfair, unkind, and irresponsible. Treatment and prevention are readily available and accessible, making your job as a pet parent an easy one.

Think long and hard before disregarding preventative. It’s not a “What are the chances of my animal getting it?” or ” I’ll not worry about it” kind of thing. The numbers of infected animals are skyrocketing. Do not act with negligence and allow your animal to be one of the statistics.

Please visit The American Heartworm Society to learn even more about Heartworm Disease.