Yes, definitely. Even in places like Florida where we have mosquitoes indoors, dogs can still be affected by heartworms even if they stay inside all the time.

Heartworms have multiple life stages. They start as larvae, known as microfilaria, which live in the bloodstream and then move to the heart. These larvae are usually picked up by mosquitoes and then transmitted to another dog. This larva that circulates through the bloodstream goes into the heart and takes about six months to develop into a fully mature adult heartworm.

Heartworm treatment normally cures most dogs the first time around. However, sometimes a second round of treatment may be necessary if the first one doesn't kill all of the adult heartworms. Usually, we retest in six months to see if we need to retreat or if we can just continue with heartworm prevention.

Typically, we administer three heartworm treatments. We start with one injection and then a month later we give two injections.

If your dog tests positive for heartworms, the veterinarian will discuss doing chest x-rays and putting the dog on medications. They will also talk about heartworm treatment options. In some cases, they may recommend you to see a cardiologist before starting the heartworm treatment.

There are four different stages of heartworm disease. Stage one is when the dog is infected with the larvae, and you might not even notice anything at this point. Stage two is characterized by a bit of exercise intolerance and a mild cough. Stage three is more severe, with a much more hacking cough and an increased amount of exercise intolerance. Stage four is the worst stage, where the dog may exhibit severe exercise intolerance, and sometimes even collapse. At this stage, the dog is most likely in congestive heart failure and it can even lead to death.

If left untreated, worms can cause extreme discomfort, weight loss, and bloody diarrhea. In puppies and kittens, they can lead to anemia which can be fatal.

Worms live in the dog's intestinal tract and lay eggs that hatch, perpetuating the cycle. Unless the intestinal worms are eliminated, they will continue reproducing inside the intestinal tract.

The prevalence of worms in dogs depends on their lifestyle. Dogs that stay mostly indoors and are on heartworm prevention are less likely to have worms. However, dogs that often visit parks or stay outside, especially in the southeast, are almost certainly likely to have some type of intestinal worms.

Yes, two types of worms are visible. Roundworms, which look like thin spaghetti, can be seen in puppies' stool, and tapeworms, which look like grains of rice, can be seen in dogs' stool.