When we adopt a pet dog into our home, we will often do whatever we can in order to raise it to be happy and healthy. Among these common requirements are taking it to the vet for a routine checkup and finding out if the dog is ill or in need of any particular form of treatment before bring it into your home. One of the dangerous illnesses that a dog can contract during their life is heartworms, a nasty disease that can cause a dog to suffer immensely and eventually die if left untreated. In a nut shell, heartworm is usually transferred by a mosquito and when it bites the healthy dog it will then implant some of its infected larvae in their bloodstream. The larvae will travel through the dog's body and eventually reach the heart where they will live.

Once the heartworm begins growing inside the dog's heart, it can become up to 12 inches long. If the dog never receives treatment, there can be devastating, if not fatal, results. Unfortunately, the process does not end there; which is why as pet owners we must do whatever we can to protect our dogs from this harmful disease. If another mosquito bites a dog that is infected with heartworm, the mosquito will actually take in the microfilariae as it feeds on the infected dog's blood. Inside the mosquito the microfilariae will then the infected larvae will form and the process goes on and on.

Due to the fact that this disease is so easily transmitted, as pet owners we need to do whatever we can to care for our pets; and this means not just treating them after they have a 6 inch worm growing in heir heart. Once the worms are inside your dog, the removal and treatment process can be very dangerous for the animal, as well as extremely difficult. For this reason, preventing heartworms all together is often considered to be much more effective than treatment once they are ill.

The number one method for preventing heartworms in your dog is to never have them bitten by a mosquito, though sadly this is much more difficult than it sounds. You can reduce the chance of this occurring by keeping your dog inside during the night hours and the late afternoon when the mosquitos are out on the prowl for blood. If you live near the coast, then your dog is much more likely to incur this disease than living in the Midwest somewhere. Areas where there are swamps and other salty water bodies are where the risk is highest. Due to the high dangers for many animals, putting your dog on a heartworm prevention program may be in heir best interest and should be started at a very early age, around 6 to 8 weeks old.

Depending on your living area will determine whether you dog are on the pill all year long or just during certain months when the mosquito season is ravenous. If you choose to only do it during the bad months, you will want to start the pill about a month before he season which is usually between May and June and carry it all the way through December. Unfortunately, this is something you will want to keep your pet dog on for their entire life in order to truly prevent this dangerous disease. If you are considering buying a new puppy, do not wait too long before visiting your local vet to see what medications they should be placed on, and don't forget to ask about heartworm prevention if you live in a damp area.