It has generally been observed that it takes about six months for the Symptoms of Heartworm Infection to appear. But if you are not aware of these warning signs, it is very important for you to read this write-up; since it contains very significant information that can assist in you detecting this grave disease in dogs.

We assume that you already know about Dirofilaria immitris that is carried by a mosquito. But if you are not aware about it don’t worry we will explain it in brief. When the mosquito bites the dog; this thread like roundworm gets transmitted from a host. This worm enters the mosquito and goes through two molts, in the last molt the parasite gets into the saliva glands of the mosquito. It is during this stage that the parasite becomes infectious and hangs around while the mosquito bites a new host.

Once the mosquito bites the new host, the parasite enters their body and with the aid of two more molts gets transformed into an adult Heartworm. The peculiar thing about heartworms is that they travel to the heart or lungs and with time they multiply in size. Sometimes they grow by 10 times their original size. They also start producing offspring during this time, which grows within 6 months after the bite. After they become adult, it is easy to detect them. The sad part of this entire episode is that it is hard to see any symptoms up to 6 months from the mosquito bite.

Let us now look at some of the early indications that act as a warning signal for heartworms in dogs:

One of the foremost signals that point towards heartworm infection in dogs is soft and dry cough. Since the deadly parasites get into the lungs and start growing in it and surrounding areas, the dogs cough a lot, especially after you have given them a good bit of exercise. The worst part is that the initial coughing might lead to fainting. Even a bit of exercise can lead to fainting.

The dog starts to feel tired very often, starts being aloof devoid of any physical exercise. Dogs that suffer from heartworm disease find it difficult to remain active and feel exhausted even after doing the smallest of tasks.

If you find your four-legged friend has lost an abnormal weight, then it might be due to the heartworm infection. In fact, dogs might even find it difficult to eat or conduct their day-to-day activities.

Due to the presence of heartworms in the lungs and the surrounding veins; the dog might find it difficult to breathe along with some abnormalities like fast breathing. Fluids might develop around the blood vessels in the lungs that will make the process of oxygenating blood from the lungs.

Adult heartworm infection can even result in swollen appearance of the dog’s chest accompanied with weight loss and anorexia. It can even cause fluid build-up as a result of the presence of heartworm infection in the chest of the dog.

Although an allergic reaction is a rare possibility but it cannot be negated, due to the presence of heartworms or their offspring.

Due to the presence of a wide array of heartworms in the heart, blockage of blood flow, along with shock is an eminent possibility. In certain cases, red blood cells of the dog get destroyed. This is followed up by the eventual passing away of the dog.

Some other notable symptoms that cannot be discounted include:

Seizures, blindness and lameness can occur in situations when the parasites get lost and get into places apart from heart or lungs. They can even end up getting into the brain or the eyes of the pooch. But this is a rare possibility. The difficulty of gauging the symptoms can be understood from the fact that each of the symptoms mentioned above can be symptoms for other diseases too. Hence, it becomes very intricate for the veterinarian to come to a conclusion that the pooch is suffering from heartworm infection. So, were you aware of these symptoms earlier?