Heavy rains this summer have resulted in standing pools of water that are breeding more mosquitoes than usual.

Mosquitoes carry and transmit many diseases, including heartworm. Heartworm is a serious and life-threatening parasite transmitted between dogs by mosquitoes.

Heartworm-transmitting mosquitoes bite your dog, then larvae are transferred into the bloodstream where they will incubate and mature. This is the onset of heartworm disease.

If left ignored, these microscopic larvae will develop into large worms inside your dog’s heart and eventually cause a serious, deadly condition.

What Are the Signs of Heartworm Disease?

In the early stages, there are few clinical symptoms. As the heartworms grow the worms migrate to the arteries and eventually to the heart and lungs. This can cause severe lung inflammation and heart failure. Symptoms of more advanced heartworm disease include a mild, persistent cough, lethargy, fatigue, reduced appetite and weight loss.

How is Heartworm Disease Detected?

Heartworm infection in dogs can be detected with a simple blood test.

Are Cats Affected?

Mosquitoes can transmit heartworm larvae to cats. however, heartworms do not mature and reproduce well in the cats. Thus, infected cats do not typically have symptoms nor progress to a life-threatening condition.

Prevention is Key

Heartworm is difficult to treat, but easy to prevent. We recommend that pet guardians take steps now to talk to their veterinarians about how to best protect their pets from this dangerous disease. Heartworm prevention is safe, easy and inexpensive. while treatment for dogs with active heartworm disease is possible, it can be expensive and take months.

There are a variety of options for preventing heartworm infection in both dogs and cats, including monthly chewable tablets and monthly topical applications. All of these methods are extremely effective. these medications interrupt heartworm development before adult worms reach the lungs and cause disease.

Our pets count on us to protect them from this preventable disease. The key to prevention is maintaining the monthly preventative program recommended by your veterinarian. creating calendar or smart-phone reminders to help remind you to give the medication is a tool to help you keep this responsibility.

For more information about heartworm disease, go to heartwormsociety.org and see your veterinarian for your pet’s testing and the monthly preventative.

Jennifer Bolser, DVM is the Chief Clinic Veterinarian for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s full-service public veterinary clinic. The clinic is located at 2323 55th Street in Boulder. for information or to make an appointment, call 303-442-4030 or go to boulderhumane.org