Dog Heartworm
HEARTWORMHeartworms are a parasite. They are transmitted to your dog by mosquitoes. Once the infected mosquito bites your dog, it releases juvenile heartworms into your dogs’ blood stream. Once inside your dog, the worms make their way to the heart where they stay until they are mature adults and start breeding. Another mosquito comes along, sucks up the baby heartworms flies off and bites another dog, thus transmitting the parasites over and over again.
Heartworms are more prevalent where there are more mosquitoes. Mosquitoes live around humid, damp areas and large open fields. They are primarily night feeders, only coming out after the heat of the day has passed during dusk. Note that outdoor dogs are more susceptible to getting heartworms than indoor dogs. However, small indoor dogs get heartworms too. Mosquitoes can not survive the bitter cold winters of the Northeast or the Midwest, however in my opinion; you can never be careful enough and I still give my dogs their monthly heartworm prevention pill year round.
Unfortunately, there are no symptoms until the disease is advanced. Symptoms of Heartworm Disease are:
congestive heart failure, coughing, breathing difficulties, loss of energy and a dull coat.
There is a once a month pill for prevention of heartworms which is recommended. These pills are chewable and dogs think they are a treat. These can be purchased through your veterinarian and the dosage is based on the weight of your dog. Heartworms can be cured as well, however, depending on the stage of the disease the cure can be deadly to your dog.
Your veterinarian can take a simple blood test to determine if your dog has heartworms. Once detected, your dog should start treatment in order to kill the parasites. The treatment can take up to 5 weeks to kill the adult heartworms and another 8 more weeks to make sure all the baby heartworms are killed. During this time your dog will have to be kept kenneled and quiet. The treatment kills the heartworms and then breaks them up into small pieces where they can be eliminated through a bowl movement. These pieces also travel through the bloodstream, which is why your dog needs to be kept quiet during the treatment phase as clusters of these dead heartworms can cause a blockage in a vein causing death to your dog.
The drug used to kill the heartworms is called Immiticide and contains arsenic. This is why only a veterinarian can provide the treatment. The shot is put deep into the muscle of the back and injection and the injection site will be painful. Your veterinarian will make sure to ease your dogs’ pain during treatment and make him comfortable, thus quiet and sleepy. Heartworm treatment should always be given by a veterinarian as an overdose of the medication can also be lethal to your dog.
Once the heartworms are eliminated, it is important to have your dog checked every 6 months with a blood test to make sure he has not been re-infected. Your dog will have to take the preventative medication once a month for the rest of his life.
At home, use a mosquito killing insecticide to eliminate these pests. Bug lights and foggers work well too. Make sure you spray the dog house and bedding. Check with your veterinarian for the proper insecticide to use as you do not want to harm your dog. If at all possible, try to keep your dog indoors at night. By keeping him inside at night, it will help prevent him from getting bit by the mosquitoes.