What Is Your Heartworm Awareness Level?

April is National Heartworm Awareness Month 

Hill Country Animal Hospital wants to increase your heartworm awareness level and  make sure you understand how important keeping your pet on heartworm prevention really is.

Protect even your baby pets from heartworm disease

How Are Heartworms Transmitted?

Heartworms are transmitted to your dog or cat via mosquitoes.  Mosquitoes become infected by biting a dog or cat that has heartworm disease and then can spread heartworms to subsequent dogs or cats that they bite.  Dogs are a natural host for heartworms and that is why most of the emphasis is on prevention and treatment in dogs.  Cats can be a host but they are an atypical host.

Once the animal has been infected, heartworms grow to about a foot long and live in the heart and lungs of the infected animal.  In the dog Continue…