Did you know heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease that can occur in both dogs and cats? Heartworms are foot-long worms that are capable of invading the heart, lungs and blood vessels of your dog. The disease, if not caught early, can be fatal as it can cause permanent damage to your dog’s main organs including the heart and lungs. The disease is transmitted primarily through mosquitoes. They bite infected animals and transfer heartworm larvae to dogs when they bite them. It takes 10 to 14 days for the baby worms to enter the infective stage. Once the mosquito bites another dog, it deposits the larvae into the dog. It can take 6 months for the babies to mature. Heartworms can live five to seven years in dogs. It’s important to keep your dogs on a monthly prevention medication to keep them healthy. For more information, click here, or call your New Tulsa, OK vet.