It’s Corgi Corner time! This is a series that’s posted on the first Saturday of every month! These posts help spread education and awareness on topics like general dog care, corgi specific things, medical care, health facts, etc. This month’s Corgi Corner post will be all about Heartworm Disease! April is National Heartworm Awareness month! Heartworm disease is a terrible disease that is 100% preventable. This is why we always require all foster or adoption applicants to have a consistent history of heartworm testing AND year round heartworm prevention in order to be approved by us. Heartworm is carried by mosquitos. It develops when a pet is bitten by a mosquito carrying the microscopic larvae of a parasite called “dirofilaria immitis”. These worms, which can grow 6-12 inches in length, live in the blood vessels of the lungs and heart in dogs, cats, and even pet ferrets. Once bitten by the mosquito, the heartworm larvae begin their migration, which ends with them living as adult worms in the heart and vessels of the lungs. By 6 months of age, the adult worms begin to reproduce, releasing embryonic larvae into the bloodstream. When a mosquito bites an infected pet, the mosquito ingests this larvae, starting the whole heartworm life cycle again. This is why doing only yearly testing is not enough and year round prevention is so imperative. While adult heartworms can live up to 7 years in dogs, worms die at various ages. As they die, the dead worms collapse, and are forced by the blood flow into the smaller arteries of the lungs, causing damage that can be permanent. As the blood flow through the diseased lungs becomes more restrictive, some dogs can develop heart failure. A large number of heartworms can lead to a sudden obstruction of blood flow to the heart and lungs. This blockage often becomes a life threatening form of heart failure. All pets with heartworms have the disease, whether or not their symptoms are recognized. Without treatment, heartworm disease worsens, leading to serious illness and even death. The best way to reduce the chance of heartworm infection in your pet is to have your pet tested for heartworm disease once a year and to provide them with prevention medication year round. Prevention is always safer and more affordable than treating the adult heartworm infections in dogs. There is no heartworm treatment available for cats or ferrets, so prevention is essential. You can only get heartworm prevention from a veterinarian. If you haven't done so, please talk to your vet about the heartworm prevention that is right for your pet and get them on a regimen you can stick to. It's a very common misconception that prevention medications aren't necessary in cold months or months when mosquitoes are not commonly active. To be effective, they must be given year round. For more information about heartworm disease and prevention, visit the link below from The American Heartworm Society: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources