Little Creek Veterinary Clinic

April was Heartworm Awareness Month, and I posted several items 

here

here

and

here

to let you know how serious we are about preventing deadly heartworm infection in your pets.

But one thing was missing – until now: videos showing active heartworms in a dog’s blood sample.

And here they are — just click the links!

Live heartworm microfilariae

Live heartworm microfilariae Part 2

Live heartworm microfilariae Part 3

That’s right. Using my trusty Panasonic Lumix on Motion Picture Mode, I caught these larval heartworms (also called microfilariae) doing their wriggly-squiggly happy dance under the microscope. They didn’t dance for long.

Quick Review: Lifecycle of the Heartworm

L1 stage microfilariae (the newborns produced by adult heartworms) are ingested by a mosquito feeding on the blood of an infected dog. Inside the mosquito, the L1 larvae mature to a new stage called L3 and are then passed on to the next dog or cat on which the mosquito dines. Inside the new host, the L3 larva mature to become adult heartworms measuring up to 12 inches long.

These videos show L1 stage larva: the point at which a heartworm-positive dog is a danger to its neighbors. Don’t let heartworms infect your pet; and be a good neighbor — don’t let your pet become a reservoir for heartworm disease. 

Ask us about heartworm testing and prevention today!