A Video Through The Microscope Of Microfilaria
Heartworm Disease In Dogs

View a video of a microscopic view of hundreds of microfilaria in a tiny drop of blood inside a hematocrit tube.

Double-click on the left arrow to look through the microscope.

The microscopic view above reveals a swarm of microfilaria which are the minute offspring of mature heartworms residing in the dog's pulmonary vessels and right side of the heart.  Microfilaria are less than a hundredth of an inch long and circulate throughout the dog's body and can cause diverse pathological changes.  Treatment to rid the dog of these microfilaria after the adult heartworms are first cleared must be done under close supervision.  These microfilaria are NOT infective... they must first be consumed by a mosquito, then undergo subtle changes if environmental temperatures are optimal, and then be re-injected into a dog through another blood sucking event.  You can see how easy it is for a dog to be a source for it's own re-infestation!