Protecting Your Dog From Heartworm Disease By Dr. Nancy Ruth, Crofton Animal Hospital Heartworm Disease is a potentially fatal disease in dogs.
Dogs are a required part of the heartworm life cycle.
Mosquitoes feeding on an infected dog take in microfilaria, the larvae that are circulating in the blood stream. When the mosquito bites another dog, the developing larvae are passed to that dog. After infection from the mosquito s bite, it takes almost six months for the larvae to mature into an adult worm. These worms reside in the right side of the heart, affecting blood flow to the lungs. The adult worms will make offspring.