I will answer this by saying that's kind of what they're known for. They will groom themselves, and they try to keep themselves tidy and clean. You'll notice that they use a litter box and keep their eliminations in a contained, neat area for the most part. I will go out on a limb and say that the majority of cats keep themselves fairly hygienic and clean. Hopefully, that answers your question for those who have that thought in mind.

Yes. Believe it or not, your indoor dog can get it. Mosquitoes do prefer room temperature, so when it's hot, we all see mosquitoes go into our house as we open the door, so even indoor dogs are at risk.

The cycle of heartworm starts when the microfilaria, which is found in the parasite, the mosquito, is injected into one dog, and microfilaria then slowly reaches different stages. There are actually six larva stages before it reaches the adult stage. Depending on the number of heartworms, we'd use that to determine how we stage the pet based on the size of the heart and the vessel issues we see.

Heartworm disease is fairly common in dogs. We see it quite frequently in the southeast of the United States.

Not through direct transmission, but they do utilize the mosquito. The mosquito bites an infected dog, and it is then reproduced in the mosquito and passed onto another dog. It is extremely rare to find heartworm disease in humans.

Heartworms are not visible on the outside of the dog. We can see the baby parasite called the microfilaria under our microscope of the blood drop, and we can see the adults in the heart with the naked eye.

Heartworm disease can be painful if the heart is very enlarged or if the migration of the worm suddenly happens and causes some issues in the vessels.

Coughing, exercise intolerance, and even a heart murmur can be signs of heartworm disease.

It can take several months to start seeing actual signs, as it takes anywhere from six to eight months for the larva to reach the adult stage. It can even take up to two years to see any signs.