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Heartworm Treatment and Prevention
Dog Care Tip: Heartworm Treatment and
Prevention 101
With heartworm season fast approaching (and never actually going dormant in warmer
climates), we wanted to take a moment to talk about heartworm treatment and prevention.
The following information is provided as a general primer. PupLife.com does not
sell heartworm medicine, and we strongly recommend that dog owners talk to their
vet before utilizing any heartworm medication or treatment.
 Heartworm
Information
Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition caused
by parasitic worms living in the heart and pulmonary arteries
of dogs and other mammals (including wolves, coyotes, foxes
and other wild canids). Heartworms belong to the roundworm
family and are clinically classified as Dirofilaria immitis.
Disease Transmission: Beware the
Mosquito
The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog, rather
transmission of heartworm requires an intermediate host: the
mosquito. Spread of the disease therefore coincides with the
mosquito season. Adult heartworms in an infected dog produce
offspring, called microfilariae, which circulate in the the
animal's blood. When a mosquito "bites" that infected
animal, it sucks out blood containing the microfilariae. After
about two weeks in the mosquito, the microfilariae become
infective larvae. This step is necessary for the transmission
of heartworm, because when the mosquito bites a pet dog or
cat, the infective larvae are transmitted.
Heartworm
Symptoms
Dogs infected with heartworms can live several years before
manifesting any symptoms. Consequently, the disease is diagnosed
mostly in 4 to 8 year old dogs, and is seldom identified in
a dog under 1 year of age. This is because the young heartworms
(larvae) take up to 7 months to mature following the initial
infection. Although some dogs will not show any symptoms,
the most obvious indicators are cough, exercise intolerance,
abnormal lung sounds, difficulty breathing, enlargement of
the liver, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, and
abnormal heart sounds.
Heartworm
Treatment
Most dogs can be successfully treated for heartworms if the
disease is detected early. If you suspect your dog may have
heartworms, seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian immediately.
Usually a vet will recommend treating the patient in the following
manner: Adult worms are killed with an organic arsenical drug
given through a series of carefully administered injections.
A few days after treatment, the worms die and are carried
by the bloodstream to the lungs. There they decompose and
are absorbed by the body over a period of several months.
Following treatment, complete rest is needed to prevent lung
damage from the dead and decomposed worms. Excitement and
exercise should be avoided for at least a month, followed
by gradual return to normal activity. After all adult heartworms
are eliminated, another drug must be given to rid the bloodstream
of microfilariae, which are not affected by the drug used
to kill adult heartworms.
Heartworm
Prevention
A common misconception about heartworm prevention medications
is that they 'prevent' heartworm infection from occurring
at all. That is not quite correct. Most types of prevention
medications kill existing microfilaria but do not prevent
them from entering the body. Before beginning a prevention
program, a blood test must be given a veterinarian to determine
that the dog is not already infected. The preventative should
be administered from early spring until the end of December
in cooler climates or it may be taken year round. As a safeguard,
many veterinarians recommend annual or biannual screening
tests even for dogs that are on heartworm preventives.
Keeping Your Dog Healthy
Today, the majority of dogs with heartworm disease survive.
Most can be treated with medication, some requiring surgery.
Unfortunately there are those few that do not survive the
devastating effects of the disease. With prompt detection,
needless suffering can be prevented. It is important to remember
that heartworm disease is preventable! Consult your veterinarian
for an appropriate prevention program for your dog. Please
pay close attention to your vet's recommendations and advice
regarding heartworm prevention - your dog's life may depend
on it.
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