Heartworm Disease in Dogs

Heartworm Disease in Dogs

Every dog owner dreads the Heartworm Disease. So would dogs if they could understand it. Why wouldn’t it be feared?

It’s a very serious condition and potentially fatal to the canines. So, what is it? What causes it? How do you know if your dog has it?

How do you cure it? And, most importantly, how do you prevent it from happening?

What is the Heartworm Disease?

It’s a condition caused by the parasitic Dirofilaria immitis, commonly referred to as the heartworm. It didn’t get its name by chance.

The heartworms literally attack the dog’s heart. They clog it and major blood vessels that lead from it. The pesky parasites don’t stop there-they interfere with the valve actions within the heart.

All that sums up in very terrible news for the dog. First, the heart is under duress, impeding regular functioning.

More stress and energy is used for basic pumping, even at rest. That by itself is very bad news for any living organism.

That’s not the worst part. The clogging of the main blood vessels from the heart reduces blood supply to other body organs.

Yes, this includes the vital organs like the liver, lungs and kidneys. Without consistent, nourished supply, these organs malfunction. It’ll all downhill from there.

Heartworm disease is a leading cause in canine deaths across the entire planet. If you have a dog, this condition is a cause to worry.

How do Dogs get Heartworm Disease?

You have the mosquito to thank for that. To understand exactly what happens, we have to go through the heartworm’s life cycle.

It all begins in an infected dog. Adult females do their thing and release the offspring into the dog’s bloodstream.

The offspring are referred to as microfilariae. These mainly live in the small vessels of the bloodstream. Along comes the mosquito to feed on the dog’s blood. The mosquito ingests the microfilariae.

Here, in their new host, is where they’ll live and thrive to become infective larvae. It’s a short process, taking about 10-14 days.

The ‘infected’ mosquito will of course get to feed on another dog sooner or later. Here is where the infected larvae are passed into the new dog, through the bite wound as the mosquito ravishes on the dog’s blood.

Within 6-7 months, the infected larvae will have matured into adult heartworms. Again they reproduce and release their offspring into the dog’s blood. Another mosquito comes along and the process starts all over again. Thus is the cycle of the worm’s life.

Note that not only one, but over 30 species of mosquito can harbor the microfilariae. In addition, the microfilariae cannot develop into infective larvae without being hosted by a mosquito. That’s Mother Nature’s way of keeping them in check. Otherwise they’d have wiped out the entire dog population.

As you can see, Heartworm disease is not contagious. No, you’re dog won’t get it from being around another dog that has it. Not unless a mosquito does the transference.

What goes on Inside the Dog with Heartworm Disease?

A heartworm can last a whopping 7 years within a dog. Adult males range at 4″-6″ in length, while the females double that, slithering around at up to 12 inches.

Ever heard of the ‘worm burden’? That’s the number of worms living in an infected dog. Usually it’s just 15, but numbers of up to 300 have been recorded.

Where do they all live? In the heart and its adjacent large blood vessels. Sometimes they can be found in other parts of the circulatory system.

All those worms cause a lot of clogging. So how will you know if your dog has this condition?

Diagnosing Heartworm Disease

Usually, one or more simple blood tests are enough to diagnose Heartworm Disease. However, further tests are required to determine if the dog can safely go through treatment.

The most common test carried out is the antigen test. It detects antigens produced by the adult heartworms.

The disease can be detected even though there are no microfilariae in the bloodstream. In the early stages of infection, the adult worms may not have produced enough antigens and there may be a false negative result.

The only worms that produce the antigens are the female worms. As such, if there are only male worms, you’ll also get a false negative result.

A blood test for microfilariae can also be conducted. This is because they can’t be in existence without being produced by the adult female worms.

If there are any microfilariae in the dog’s blood, there are definitely some adult worms. CBC, electrolytes and blood chemistry tests are conducted to check out kidney and liver function, to determine the functioning of these vital organs before treatment.

X-Ray testing can also be carried out to show heart swelling and artery enlargement, but only as a presumptive evidence for heartworm disease.

If you’ve found out that your dog has Heartworm disease, don’t fret. It can be treated.

When should you take your Dog to the Vet?

What signs will you as the dog owner see? First off, you should understand that the symptoms typically do not show until the condition is in its advanced stages.

However, there are some signs that hint at Heartworms disease that you will no-doubtedly observe.

Coughing is one. Another is difficulty breathing and exercise intolerance as the disease advanced. As the condition progresses, you will notice abdominal swelling and the dog may collapse.

Don’t wait for it to go that far. Stay safe-if your dog is coughing, rush to your vet.

Treatment for Heartworm Disease

Often, the disease is treatable. That is unless it has progressed to very severe states where the dogs won’t survive treatment, and are thus usually considered ineligible for treatment.

The heartworms are killed using drugs injected directly into the bloodstream. Examples are FDA-approve Caparsolate Sodium and Advantage Multi for Dogs.

The injections may be divided and given a month apart, and your vet will determine the pattern.

Complete rest is essential after treatment to allow the dog’s body to effectively get rid of the dead worms within it.

Preventing Heartworm Disease

Why wait for the dog to get sick and risk its life?

There are many drugs out there like Heartgard, Sentinel and Trifexis that have been prevent Heartworm disease. There are chewable, non-chewable oral tablets.

You can even get topical liquids. Some of the preventives for heartworm disease also protect the dog from other conditions and intestinal worms.

Speak to your vet about the best preventive measure for your dog. Prevention is better than cure. It’s a decision neither you nor your dog will regret.

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