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How does my dog get heartworms?
The disease is spread by the mosquito. The disease is not usually detected in a dog less than one year of age because the young worms take up five to seven months to mature after infection.
What will heartworms do my dog?
Adult heartworms cause disease by clogging the heart and major blood vessels leading from the heart. They disrupt the blood flow to the major organs in the body, causing damage to these organs.
What are the signs?
Most dogs with heartworms will not have any signs for as long as two years. But by the time they do, the disease has progressed to dangerous level. The most obvious signs are a dry cough, shortness of breath, weakness, nervousness, listlessness, and loss of stamina. These would be most noticeable after exercise; some dogs may even faint.
How is it diagnosed?
By a blood test that can be run by your veterinarian. A small blood sample can also be viewed under a microscope that can show the immature worms circulating in the blood. This can also help determine the severity of the infection. Other tests should be run to make sure your dog can undergo the treatment for heartworms.
X-rays are often done to determine if any changes in the heart have occurred and the condition of the heart, lungs, and vessels. This is important to know before treatment is started. An electrocardiogram is useful to determine the presence of any abnormal heart rhythms.
What is the treatment?
There is a drug given by injection that kills the adult heartworms. This is given for two days by your veterinarian in the hospital. In more serious infections, these injections may be divided and given thirty days apart.
If the infection is so advanced that it has damaged organs it may be safer to treat the organ damage rather than the heartworms. In this situation, long term prognosis can be anywhere from a few weeks to months.
Complete rest is very important for one month after treatment. Your veterinarian will give you instructions on how to care for your dog after the treatment.
How can I prevent my dog from getting heartworm disease?
The important thing to remember is that this disease can be prevented. Heartworm prevention is about 95% effective, so regular testing is recommended to ensure that your dog is not one of the 5% of dogs that is infected despite year-round prevention.
The treatment can be painful for your dog and is expensive for you - keep your dog on heartworm prevention year-round and do yearly testing. Both you and your dog will be glad you did!
For more information, please go to The American Heartworm Society at heartwormsociety.org
This information is for educational purposes only. Please see your veterinarian for information about what is best for your pet.
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