The common consensus is that it takes about 40‒50 days for heartworm larvae to mature to the point where heartworm preventatives no longer work. Once the larvae start maturing into adult heartworms, however, the preventatives are no longer effective. Heartworm larvae are initially susceptible to heartworm preventatives. Why Give a Heartworm Preventative Every 30 Days? Heartworm disease is very expensive to treat and is often fatal if left untreated. Heartworms cause serious respiratory and cardiac problems and can damage other organs in the body. Adult heartworms, which grow to nearly 12 inches long and live for several years, take up residence in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels that run between these two organs. Heartworm larvae take about 6 months to fully mature into adults. The mosquito will then inject the larvae when it bites another dog. The microfilariae develop into larvae in the mosquito within 10 to 14 days. If a mosquito bites a dog that has heartworms, the mosquito will suck up microfilariae, which are baby heartworms produced by female adult heartworms. The dog heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, is a parasite that is transmitted by mosquitoes. First, let’s review what heartworm disease is all about and the rationale for monthly doses of heartworm preventative. Several factors, which will be discussed later in the article, influence a dog’s risk of getting heartworm disease if a heartworm preventative dose is missed. If this has happened to you, realize that you are not alone.įortunately, missing a dose of heartworm preventative does not automatically mean that your dog is going to get heartworm disease. Despite their best intentions, even the most attentive and diligent pet parent can occasionally forget to give their dog their monthly heartworm preventative. ”Oh no! I missed my dog’s heartworm preventative dose!” Many pet parents have felt this sense of panic at one point or another.
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