Heartworms in Dogs and Cats: There’s No Such Thing as an Outdoor Only Mosquito

Do you know humans aren’t the only ones at risk from mosquitoes?

Your feline friends like your cat and dogs at home also face a risk from mosquitoes. Heart-worm infestation is common in cats and dogs and the mosquitoes are the carriers of microscopic heart-worm larvae.

Heart-Worm Life Cycle

When a mosquito sucks blood from a cat or dog having heart-worm infestation, the parasite gets transferred to the mosquito’s gut. When the mosquito carrying the heart-worm larvae bites the dog or cat in your house, the heart-worm larvae get transferred to your pet’s body. The heart-worm larvae reside in your pet’s body until it becomes an adult. When the heart-worm reaches the adult stage, it produces microfilaria that increases the heart-worm infestation.

The heart-worm can grow up to the size of 9 to 11 inches long and live up to a period of 5-7 years. Do you know even a single heart-worm in your pet’s body can be fatal? The heart-worm is known to cause death in cats and dogs as it can cause blockage in the pulmonary artery.

Heart-worm is hard to detect in cats and dogs as the parasites don’t release microfilaria until they reach adult stage. The treatment of heart-worm is expensive and potentially harmful to cats and dogs. Even after the expensive treatment, you might be required to take your cat and dog to a veterinary hospital for blood tests to ensure there is no relapse of the heart-worm infestation. Your veterinarian may also suggest preventative doses for your pet which might be detrimental to your pet’s health.

Mosquitoes Can Fly Long Distances And Enter Your House

Though mosquitoes prefer breeding around your house, it does not mean any outdoor mosquito carrying heart-worm larvae cannot reach pets in your house. Many people have a misunderstanding that mosquitoes cannot fly large distances and it is very hard for mosquitoes living outdoors to reach your home.

The fact is some species of mosquitoes have flight ranges of 1-4.5 kilometers. Some mosquito breeding spot found are even located farther – around 11 kilometers away. There is no doubt mosquito can fly a long distance to find their victims and you should take appropriate measures to keep your pets and family members safe from mosquitoes.

Mosquito Repellent To Repel Mosquitoes

Humans can protect themselves from mosquitoes by using mosquito repellent that contains active ingredients like citronella that affect the mosquito’s ability to detect carbon dioxide released by their victims. When you apply mosquito repellent, mosquitoes cannot detect your presence and fly away without biting you. You can also buy natural insect repellent sprays from a pet store for dogs and cats in your home.

Mosquito Free Environment

Though mosquito repellent are effective, the best home protection strategy is having a mosquito control solution. Residents can conduct larvaciding and pest control treatment that not only kills mosquitoes but also destroys their breeding grounds.They can also purchase mosquito traps to attract and kill adult mosquitoes.