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How do heartworms eat?

Updated: 10/8/2023
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13y ago

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In graduate school I conducted research on heartworm disease and as a veterinarian I deal with it frequently, so I can provide a detailed response to this question.

There are both male and female heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) which live in the heart and pulmonary vessels. The adult heartworms mate and, unlike many other parasites, which produce eggs, heartworms produce live offspring called microfilariae (singular form microfilaria). The microfilariae are NOT infective rather they have to undergo an obligatory developmental phase in a mosquito.

When a mosquito takes a blood meal from a heartworm-infected dog, it will draw in some microfilariae from the bloodstream. The microfilariae undergo changes in form inside the mosquito until it becomes an L3 (third stage larval form), which is the infective form. This typically takes 14 days or longer. When the mosquito takes another blood meal and injects the L3 heartworms into the skin of a dog (or cat). In 3-4 days, while in the skin, the larvae undergo another change in form to become an L4. Over the ensuing 2-3 months, they migrate to the heart/pulmonary vessels and gradually develop into the adult form. Approximately 6-7 months following the initial infection (when the L3s were injected into the skin) the adult worms are mature, begin mating and produce microfilariae.

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10y ago
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13y ago

Heartworm larvae eat through the skin and connective tissue to get to the bloodstream. Once in the blood, they are transported to the arteries and lungs where they mature into adult worms (8-12" in length) that feed from the blood. It isn't the feeding that kills an animal but, rather, the inflammation/strangulation of the animal's organs from the increasing number of worms as they multiply, usually resulting in congestive heart failure.

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12y ago

The carrier or intermediate host is the mosquito. The infected Mosquito bites a dog or cat and transmits the microfilaria or baby heartworms. The next mosquito bites an infected dog and while sucking up the blood, gets a few baby heartworms sucked up too and then it becomes infected & on to the next dog to infect it. That is why it is so important to keep your dog on monthly heartworm preventative year around.

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14y ago

the same as you

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12y ago

By sliding in a dogs heart

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Q: How do heartworms eat?
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Related questions

How do heartworms enter the host?

They enter when you eat Raw meat


Do heartworms eat muscle?

No, heartworms gather nutrients from the blood streaming by them. In fact, heartworms don't actually live in the heart of dogs - they live in the large pulmonary arteries in the lungs but swim into the heart after the dog dies.


Can beer kill heartworms)?

No, beer does not kill heartworms.


Does heartgard kill heartworms already inside dogs?

Heartgard only kills the microfillare, the immature stage of heartworms (or baby heartworms). It will not kill the adult heartworms that live in the heart. That is why it is very important to have your dog tested first by a Veterinarian for heartworms.


What type of tree promotes heartworms?

Trees have nothing to do with heartworms.


What is the best over the counter drug to cure for heartworms?

There is no over-the-counter drug to cure heartworms.


Is it true if you hold your cat to much it can get heartworms?

Only if you have a mosquito on you that is carrying heartworms. It's extremely rare for humans to get heartworms, and I don't think it would be easy to transmit to your cat if you did have them.


What are the examples of endoparasite?

One example of endoparasite is when dogs have heartworms. The heartworms are the endoparasite because they are living inside the dogs body. The heartworms are benifited, they are called the parasites, and the dog is harmed, it is called the host.


Can a dog get heartworms from tics?

No


Do German dogs get heartworms?

Yes.


What color are heartworms?

A creamy white


Will aspirin help a dog with heartworms?

If a dog has heartworms, a vet is the ONLY thing you should be considering. Aspirin will not deal with this serious condition.