What is heartworm disease, and how can it affect my dog?
Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes and is considered a parasite. The mosquito injects it into the dog and causes the larva to be injected into the blood that then goes to the heart, and the worms develop in the heart.
Dr. Patricia Wilfert
Haywood Animal Hospital
How would my dog catch heartworm?
As previously noted, heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes. It will take a bite from an infected dog, the heartworm will reproduce within the mosquito, and then the mosquito will reinject it into another dog.
Can dog heartworm be prevented?
Yes, dog heartworm can be prevented very easily. There are several different forms of heartworm prevention, whether it's a monthly pill or an injectable form, and they all work very well.
What are the signs of my dog that would indicate they may have heartworm?
Some of the signs can include coughing, exercise intolerance, difficulty breathing, and lack of energy.
What are some middle to late-stage symptoms of heartworm?
Some of those include severe coughing, heart murmur, and severe lethargy.
What can be done to stabilize my dog's heartworm disease?
A visit by your veterinarian. We will first take x-rays and blood work and try to stabilize your pet. We may use a combination of different medications to make the pet feel better and help stabilize them during their treatment.
How soon should I bring my dog in to see a veterinarian for heartworm prevention?
With heartworm prevention, we can start as early as six to eight weeks. We recommend all dogs be on heart prevention year-round at any age.
How will a veterinarian diagnose if my dog has heartworm?
We do a simple blood test, take just a couple of drops of blood from a vein, and use a snap test that shows whether they're positive or negative. If they are positive, we may send that off to a lab for a confirmation test.
Why is early detection and diagnosis of heartworm so important?
Early detection is important because that way, we can reduce the effects that happen to the heart. Heartworm disease can destroy some components of the heart, weakening it and shortening pets' lives.
Dog Heartworm - FAQs
Dr. Patricia Wilfert
Haywood Animal Hospital
What causes dog heartworm?
Dog heartworm is caused by a parasite that lives in their blood and migrates to their heart.
How are heartworms transmitted?
Heartworms are transmitted via the mosquito. A mosquito first bites an infected dog, then the heartworm actually gets in the mosquito's body and reproduces, and then it is put back into another dog through injection.
How does my dog's lifestyle affect their risk for heartworm?
Most dogs are actually potentially affected by heartworm disease. There's definitely a higher risk in dogs who spend a lot of time outside hiking, but even indoor dogs can get heartworm disease.
How significant is my dog's risk for heartworm?
In this area, heartworm disease is very significant. One mosquito bite can transmit heartworm disease.
Dog Heartworm - FAQs 2
Dr. Patricia Wilfert
Haywood Animal Hospital
How is my dog tested for heart disease?
It's a very simple blood test. We just take a small sample of blood. About three drops of blood are all we need, and then it is run on an in-house test.
When should my dog be tested for heartworm?
Your dog should be tested anywhere between six months and a year, depending on the hospital's preference, and then every year after that.
How often should my dog be tested?
Once a year.
If my dog tests positive, do I need any additional tests?
Yes. If your dog tests positive, we will usually send out a confirmation on a test at the lab, which is a little different test. So yes, they do.
What heartworm tests do you use?
We use a popular one called a 4DX. We like that one because not only does it test for heart disease, but it also tests for three tick borne diseases, including Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis.
If my dog is on prevention, do they still need a yearly heartworm test?
Yes, they should get one once a year for a couple of reasons. One is to make sure that prevention is working. Two, just in case something failed, whether it was that your dog spits out the pill you were giving or to make sure there's no lapse. If it does become positive, a lot of times those companies do help it if you are giving prevention.
Dog Heartworm - FAQs 3
Dr. Patricia Wilfert
Haywood Animal Hospital
Is heartworm common in dogs?
Yes, heartworm can be very common in dogs. We see it throughout the whole United States.
What are the complications of heartworm disease in dogs?
Heartworm disease can cause heart murmurs, coughing, enlarged heart, and even death.
Are there risks associated with the treatment for each stage of heartworm?
Yes, there are risks associated. However, they are minimal compared to the disease itself. Risks include vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy, which just means very tired, and also soreness at the injection site. On very rare occasions, they can have an allergic reaction to the injection.
Are there side effects to the medication used to prevent heartworms?
Most of the medication is relatively safe. Just like any medication, there are potential side effects, including GI signs like vomiting and diarrhea, and on rare occasions, depending on the medication, it can increase the seizure threshold. Therefore, any dogs that are prone to seizures may have seizures on certain medications, but not all.
What are the risks if dog heartworm is left untreated?
If dog heartworm is left untreated, the heart will become enlarged due to the number of parasites in the heart. It can cause heart murmurs as well as potential death.
Dog Heartworm - FAQs 4
Dr. Patricia Wilfert
Haywood Animal Hospital
How soon after infection will a dog show signs of heartworm?
It can take several months to start seeing actual signs, as it takes anywhere from six to eight months for the larva to reach the adult stage. It can even take up to two years to see any signs.
What are the possible signs that my dog has heartworms?
Coughing, exercise intolerance, and even a heart murmur can be signs of heartworm disease.
Is heartworm painful?
Heartworm disease can be painful if the heart is very enlarged or if the migration of the worm suddenly happens and causes some issues in the vessels.
Are heartworms visible?
Heartworms are not visible on the outside of the dog. We can see the baby parasite called the microfilaria under our microscope of the blood drop, and we can see the adults in the heart with the naked eye.
Dog Heartworm - FAQs 5
Dr. Patricia Wilfert
Haywood Animal Hospital
Can a dog pass on heartworm disease to another pet or person?
Not through direct transmission, but they do utilize the mosquito. The mosquito bites an infected dog, and it is then reproduced in the mosquito and passed onto another dog. It is extremely rare to find heartworm disease in humans.
How common are heartworms in dogs?
Heartworm disease is fairly common in dogs. We see it quite frequently in the southeast of the United States.
What is the cycle of heartworm, and how will this information be beneficial to the treatment of my dog?
The cycle of heartworm starts when the microfilaria, which is found in the parasite, the mosquito, is injected into one dog, and microfilaria then slowly reaches different stages. There are actually six larva stages before it reaches the adult stage. Depending on the number of heartworms, we'd use that to determine how we stage the pet based on the size of the heart and the vessel issues we see.
Can my indoor dog get heartworm disease?
Yes. Believe it or not, your indoor dog can get it. Mosquitoes do prefer room temperature, so when it's hot, we all see mosquitoes go into our house as we open the door, so even indoor dogs are at risk.
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