Heartworm is a highly preventable disease that can occur in your Chihuahua Puppy . Once contracted it is difficult and expensive to treat.

Cause: The cause of heartworm is the mosquito. If there are mosquito's around, even if you live in a desert region, there is a chance that your pets will get heartworm.

Transmission: The transmission of Heartworm to your pets is through the bite of a mosquito. When a mosquito is taking a blood meal from an infected Chihuahua Puppy , it will picks up the microfilaria (baby heartworm.) Within the mosquito, the microfilaria will then go through their life-cycle to the infective stage. After this they can infect other animals.

Life Cycle: Adult heartworm are found primarily in the right ventricle and adjacent vessels of a Chihuahua Puppy s heart. Here they produce larvae called microfilaria, a microscopic creature that circulates through the Chihuahua Puppy 's blood vessels until they are once again picked up by a feeding mosquito.

Once in the mosquito, the microfilaria will develop into their second and third stages taking any where from within 14 to 21 days. The third stage is the larvae that is then re-deposited in the Chihuahua Puppy  during a mosquito bite (feeding).

The larvae then migrates to the fat or muscle cells in the subcutaneous tissues. There they mold again to the fourth and fifth larval stages. In three months they begin to migrate to the right ventricle of the Chihuahua Puppy 's heart where they finish maturing. Female heartworm then begin to produce a new population of microfilaria about six to seven months after the initial infections.

Symptoms: A Chihuahua Puppy  may have heartworm disease for six months and an owner will not know he has it as the symptoms may be very subtle. Since the disease affects the heart, lungs, kidney or liver, your Chihuahua Puppy  may have low tolerance for exercise, loss of appetite, listlessness, persistent coughing and difficulty breathing even while resting. Other symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, yellowing of the gums and eyes (jaundice).

Once symptoms are present, the disease has advanced to the point where successful treatment is reduced and death is possible. Consult your veterinarian if you suspect your Chihuahua Puppy  to be infected.