There's a lot about Arizona that residents can brag about, including plenty of sunshine, low humidity and no annoying daylight savings time. However, one of the greatest benefits is what the state lacks, mosquitoes.

That may no longer be the case however; an increasing number of fabricated water features and stagnant swimming pools in foreclosed homes have resulted in a glut of mosquitoes and increased dangers for pets and their owners.

Mosquitoes mean heartworm, and heartworm means big trouble for dogs. An increasing number of heartworm cases are now being diagnosed in dogs throughout Arizona including Queen Creek and San Tan Valley.

Heartworm is a very serious and often fatal disease that is transmitted between dogs via mosquitoes. It only takes one infected dog and a cooperating mosquito to put other dogs at risk.

A parasitic worm that, in its adult stage, lives in the heart and the major artery to the lungs causes the disease. Heartworm is not transmitted by blood transfusions and is seldom found in people but there have been occasional cases where cats have contracted it.

Unfortunately, heartworm can be present for a number of years before any symptoms are noticed, and by that time, the disease is in its advanced stages. Signs of heartworm in a dog may include coughing, difficulty breathing, fatigue and weight loss.

The only way to know if your pet is infected for sure is to have a blood test done. If the test is negative then your dog can be placed on preventative treatment that consists of an easy to administer once-a-month chewable tablet.

If, unfortunately, a dog tests positive for heartworm, the treatment is very expensive, lengthy, unpleasant, and frequently comes too late to save the pet. What's worse, no dog is safe, all it takes is one mosquito to spread the disease.

So, get your dog tested for heartworm and begin the year round preventative regimen. That way the only thing you'll have to worry about from mosquitoes is that pesky West Nile Virus.