Heartworm can be an extremely serious disease in dogs and will more often than not results in the death of the dog from chronic heart failure if untreated.

Heartworms are common throughout the United States and in warmer regions of Europe and Asia. As heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos, dogs are most risk when they live outside in rural areas. 

What is Heartworm?

Heartworms are a type of parasitic worm that lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries, though they are sometimes found in the lungs as well.

Symptoms

Dogs will show very few symptoms that they are suffering from heart worms before they have a serious case.

Eventually the worms will prevent the heart from pumping blood properly and the dog will show shortness of breath, reluctance to exercise, lethargy and often a lot of coughing. High energy dogs tend to show symptoms earlier.