All dogs can get them, but they also can all be protected from these nasty and potentially deadly parasites. Heartworms are definitely not a dog's best friend.
There isn't a great deal to say about this type of worms. Mature heartworms live in the hearts of their hosts and lay eggs, which are swept away with the blood pumping through the heart. The eggs circulate throughout the body until they are mature, and then they come to rest in the heart. Heartworms are passed from dog to dog by mosquitos. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it carries the heartworm eggs from that dog to the next one that it bites.
The part that makes these worms deadly is their numbers. The heart of a dog, especially a tiny breed like Chihuahuas, can only handle so many heartworms clogging it up before the heart begins to have to work overtime to keep up with the demands of the body. Too many worms blocking off heart valves, filling up the chambers of the heart and clogging up major arteries and veins can lead to disastrous consequences for your dog. Dogs with heartworms most often die from what is essentially congestive heart failure.
The worse news? Often the treatment that vets use carries just as deadly a consequence. The only way to kill heartworms is to poison them. It takes large doses of Ivomectin to kill adult heartworms, which in turn, means that you're also administering large doses of this poison to your dog, and sometimes the dog's system cannot withstand it. Dogs can die from heartworm treatment.
The good news is, it's easy to prevent your dog from getting heartworms. There are many monthly heartworm preventatives on the market now, including Heart Guard and Revolution. Your dog must be tested for heartworms to ensure that he is negative, and you must have a vet's prescription for these preventatives, but they are well worth it. Also, there are topical flea and tick treatment for dogs that have mosquito repellant in them, such as Frontline Plus and K-9 Advantix. Those are effective in keeping the heartworm carrying mosquitos off of your dog.
It is very important for the health and safety of your dog that you get him on heartworm preventative and have him tested at least yearly for heartworms. Keep in mind though, most vets won't test for heartworms or start heartworm preventative until six months of age. You will still want to try to keep the mosquitos off of your puppy until then though. In puppies, a flea and tick spray that also works on mosquitoes is the best bet.
See the link below for more information.
https://www.heartwormsociety.org/heartworms-in-dogs
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