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Heartworm is a parasite that can cause serious health problems and even death in canines, and it occurs naturally in dogs. However, most dog owners know that their companions should be taking heartworm preventive medication.
If your dog has heartworm disease, medical intervention is crucial as it can significantly increase Fido’s chances of survival. Even if your dog is taking medication to prevent heartworm, it’s still important to identify the symptoms of heartworm disease so you can seek medical attention as soon as possible if your pet becomes infected.
What is heartworm?
Heartworms are parasites that live in the heart and pulmonary arteries of dogs or cats. The worms can grow up to a foot and mimic thin strands of spaghetti. They cause damage to cardiac and vascular tissue by phagocytizing tissue. Heartworm can block the pulmonary arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart and lungs and causing serious injury.
Heartworm disease in dogs is very dangerous and can be fatal. Dogs with this disease may require immediate hospitalization. During heartworm treatment and your dog’s recovery, several months of limited activity and rest are recommended.
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pet heartworm
Heartworm disease is common in dogs, cats and ferrets, but it can also be found in wolves, coyotes, foxes, sea lions and, rarely, in humans. Wild animals such as foxes and coyotes are considered major disease carriers because they live near many metropolitan areas.
puppy
Heartworms that survive in dogs develop into adults, mate and produce offspring because canines are their natural hosts. If left untreated, their numbers can grow to the point where there may be hundreds of worms in the dog’s body.
Heartworm disease can cause long-term damage to the heart, lungs, and arteries, and can negatively impact a dog’s health and well-being even after the parasite has died. Therefore, preventive measures are by far the best option, and treatment should begin as soon as possible after the onset of the disease.
cat
Heartworm disease in cats is very different from heartworm disease in dogs. Cats are unusual carriers of heartworm, and most worms in cats do not grow to adulthood. Adult heartworm in cats usually has only one to three worms, and many cats with heartworm disease do not have adult worms.
While this means that heartworm disease in cats is often undiagnosed, it’s important to remember that even immature worms can cause serious problems in the form of heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD). Also, since the medications used to treat heartworm disease in dogs are not effective in cats, prophylaxis is the only way to protect cats from the symptoms of the disease.
How Do Dogs Get Heartworm?
It appears that mosquito bites are the primary route of heartworm disease in dogs. The microfilariae develop into infective larvae inside the mosquito over the next 10 to 14 days, depending on the environment. When an infected mosquito bites a dog, the infective larvae enter the dog through the puncture wound.
Over a period of about 6 to 7 months, infective larvae develop into adults in newly infected dogs. The entire life cycle is complete when the adult heartworms mate and the female sheds her pups into the dog’s blood circulation.
Heartworm disease is not contagious, which means one dog cannot catch it from another affected dog. The only way you can get heartworm disease is through a mosquito bite.
Heartworm can live in dogs for 5 to 7 years. Adult heartworms resemble cooked spaghetti and can be 4 to 6 inches long in males and 10 to 12 inches in females. Worm load is the number of other worms that live in an infected dog. In canids, the average worm load is 15 worms, however, this number can vary from 1 to 250.
Signs of heartworm
If your dog is not taking heartworm medication regularly, early detection is your best bet. Sadly, treating your dog for heartworm disease can be complicated, expensive, and unpleasant. Here are five indicators that your puppy may have heartworm infection.
- Weight Loss: When heartworm disease is spreading, it can be difficult for dogs to find enough energy to perform even the most basic of duties. Routine actions such as eating or snacking can be too strenuous, leading to rapid weight loss.
- Fatigue: If your pet suddenly loses the desire to walk or be active, it could be a sign of heartworm. As the disease progresses, any form of physical activity may become too taxing for your dog.
- Persistent cough: The cough associated with heartworm is dry and chronic, not as severe and irregular as typical kennel cough. Even mild exertion can trigger a cough in the early stages, when the heartworm parasite enters the lungs, causing obstruction and irritation.
- Swollen ribs: Your dog’s chest may appear protruding as fluid continues to fill the lungs. The ribs will look bulged due to weight loss. A buildup of bodily fluids in response to the presence of the parasite can also cause this condition. After heartworms have fully matured in your pet’s heart and lungs, your dog will develop extremely noticeable heartworm symptoms, which unfortunately have long-term health consequences.
- Difficulty breathing: In addition to coughing, your dog may experience breathing problems that resemble an asthma attack. Fluid can also accumulate around the arteries in the lungs, making it harder for the lungs to deliver oxygen to the blood.
When Should You Test Your Dog for Heartworm?
All dogs should see a veterinarian once a year to be checked for heartworm infection. This can often be done at regular preventive care appointments. The testing and timing guidelines are as follows:
Puppies under seven months do not need to be tested for heartworm to start heartworm preventive measures, but should be tested six months after your first visit, again six months later, and annually thereafter to make sure they are heartworm free. Filarial.
Adult dogs over 7 months who have never received heartworm prophylaxis should be tested before initiating treatment. They must also be tested at six months, 12 months and annually thereafter.
Even if dogs are on year-round heartworm prevention, they need to be tested annually to see if the regimen is working. Although heartworm medications are very successful, dogs can still get infected. If you skip the monthly prescribed dose or delay taking it, your dog may become vulnerable.
Your dog may spit or spit out heartworm pills or scrape off topical medications, even if you give him them as directed. Heartworm prevention is very successful, although it’s not perfect. You won’t know if man’s best friend needs treatment unless you take your dog to the vet for testing.
Treatment of canine heartworm disease
No one wants to know their furry friend has heartworm, but the good news is that most dogs who test positive can be effectively treated. If your dog shows signs of illness, the goal is to first stabilize him and then kill all adult and immature worms while minimizing the negative effects of the treatment.
get a diagnosis
If the dog tests positive for antigens, the diagnosis should be verified with separate tests. Because treating heartworm is expensive and complicated, your veterinarian will want to determine if treatment is needed.
restricted movement
This situation can be difficult to follow, especially if your dog is used to being active. Once diagnosed, however, it’s important to limit your dog’s typical physical activity, as physical exertion can hasten the rate at which heartworm can cause damage to the heart and lungs. The less activity your dog does, the better the symptoms will be.
steady your dog
You may need to get your dog’s health under control with proper therapy before true heartworm treatment begins. In cases of severe heartworm disease or other serious medical conditions in dogs, treatment may take several months.
provide treatment
When your veterinarian determines that your dog is stable and suitable for heartworm treatment, he or she will suggest a multi-step treatment plan. The Heartworm Society of America provides instructions for developing a strategy. Treatment works very well for dogs with no or only mild signs of heartworm disease, such as coughing or activity intolerance.
The risk of consequences is higher with effective treatment of more serious diseases. The severity of heartworm disease often does not match the extent of symptoms, and dogs with large numbers of worms may have little or no early signs of disease progression.
final test
Your veterinarian will perform a heartworm test six months after treatment ends to ensure all heartworms have been eradicated. To make sure your dog doesn’t get heartworm disease again, you should give him heartworm medication year-round for the rest of his life.
How to Prevent Heartworm in Dogs
Thankfully, there are other things you can do besides heartworm medication to make sure Fido doesn’t get the worms. Here are our suggested ways to prevent heartworm.
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Feed Your Dog Quality Food
What your dog eats is essential to every aspect of his health. If you choose to use store-bought dog food, look for one that is high in protein. Make sure it uses real ingredients and whole foods, not fillers with few nutrients.
regular veterinary visits
Just like humans, dogs should be checked regularly. This should happen at least once a year, depending on your dog’s health. With puppies or older dogs, you may need to go more often. During this visit, the veterinarian will perform a physical examination and look for signs of parasites such as heartworm.
Continue Heartworm Medication
Veterinarians offer preventive medications for pet owners that can kill heartworm larvae before they become a problem. There are several types of medications available. You can choose from topical, injectable, or oral tablets.
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
