What is heartworm disease and how can it affect my dog?
Heartworm disease is a disease caused by a parasite called a heartworm. This parasite can inhabit the pulmonary artery of your dog and it can be life-threatening.
Dr. Ashley Rossman DVM
Glen Oak Dog & Cat Hospital
How would my dog catch heartworm?
Heartworm is transmitted to dogs through the bite of a mosquito.
Can dog heartworm be prevented?
Dog heartworm can absolutely be prevented. It's one of the few diseases where we can achieve almost 100% success rate with our prevention methods. There is an annual injection that can be given to prevent it, as well as medication.
What are the signs in my dog that would indicate they may have heartworm?
In the early stages of heartworm disease, there may be no signs. It can be asymptomatic towards middle or late stage heartworm disease. However, you may notice them having trouble breathing, bulging ribs, lethargy, sickness, and extreme weight loss.
What are some middle to later stage symptoms of heartworm? What can be done to stabilize my dog's heartworm disease?
Once we diagnose heartworm disease, the first step is strict cage rest, especially after treatment. The veterinarian will outline a treatment plan that is best for your dog.
How should I bring in my dog to see a veterinarian for prevention? How soon should I?
If your dog is not on prevention, you should bring them in. We even start puppies on prevention. Although it takes 7-9 months before we can accurately diagnose heartworm disease in a young puppy, we do put them on prevention as they can become infected as puppies. Particularly, those residing in warmer climates should be on heartworm prevention year-round. However, we also recommend year-round prevention in this climate to prevent this terrible disease.
How will a veterinarian diagnose if my dog has heartworm?
Heartworm diagnosis is usually based on a blood test. After the test, we stage the disease. We'll be taking x-rays and conducting other tests to see exactly where we are in the disease progression. A physical exam will help us determine what stage we're in, which will enable us to provide a suitable treatment plan.
Why is early detection and diagnosis of heartworm so important?
Early detection is crucial because it prevents any chronic lung changes that can occur with long-term heartworm disease. It also prevents any heart changes. Your dog will be much happier if we diagnose and treat the disease in its early stages. There's also a much lower chance of death with treatment if we start early. The larger the worm burden in a dog, the higher the chance for a potential severe allergic reaction following the treatment.
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