THE HEARTWORM DISEASE CYCLE
1. Infected Dog
A new dog gets infected by a mosquito bite.
2. Worms Reproduce
Adult worms live and reproduce in the heart and blood vessels of the lungs. It takes 6 months to test positive for heartworms after the offending mosquito bite.
3. Untreated Dog
If untreated, a heartworm infected dog can progress to severe disease, or even death, and can infect even more mosquitoes.
4. Infected Mosquito
Infected mosquitoes become a threat for any unprotected dog.