Dogs suffering from heartworm disease are bitten by the Dirofilaria immitis, a roundworm commonly called heartworm. The severity of heartworm disease in dogs depends on the number of worms present in the body, how long they’ve been there, and the dog’s response to them. Heartworms can be painful for dogs as they clog the heart, arteries, and lungs causing pain and breathing difficulties.
Common signs of heartworm disease in dogs include:
Heartworms spread through mosquito bites that carry infective heartworm larvae. These larvae then flow through the dog’s body reaching the heart and blood vessels, and lungs, a process that takes approximately six months. The larvae continue to mature in the dog’s heart and lungs. An adult heartworm can grow to be about 12 inches long. These adults reproduce microfilariae, into the dog’s bloodstream. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, the microfilariae enter the mosquito’s body, mature, and are passed on to another dog, thereby continuing the parasite’s life cycle.
Diagnosis Heartworm treatment for dogs starts with a blood test to screen for heartworms. Tests are routinely run both on dogs who are suspected of having an infection and to monitor dogs who on heartworm treatment medication. A positive screening test should be confirmed with another type of test before a definitive diagnosis is made and heartworm treatment for dogs is planned out.
Dogs with heartworm disease will receive primary treatment to stabilize their condition. They will then be given heartworm treatment medication to kill circulating microfilariae, and undergo a series of three injections in a month to kill adult worms in the heart and lungs. Dogs might be hospitalized so the veterinarian can keep a close watch. Prednisone and doxycycline are also typically prescribed to reduce the chances that the dog will react badly to the death of the worms. Other heartworm treatment for dogs may be required based on the individual dog’s condition. With all the prep work, heartworm treatment for dogs can run up to $1,000.
Emancipet, a leading animal hospital and pet care in Austin, provides affordable heartworm treatment for your pets. Contact us or schedule a visit to our clinic for heartworm treatment medication and the cheapest way to treat heartworms.
If your pet is suffering from heartworm disease, then Emancipet provides heartworm treatments for dogs. Schedule an appointment with us and get the best heartworm medicine for dogs.
Types and symptoms of heartworm disease
- coughing
- exercise intolerance
- poor body condition
Heartworm disease is divided into classes:
- Class I
- Class II
- Class III
- Class IV
Causes of heartworm disease
Risk factors associated with heartworm disease include residence in endemic regions, exposure to mosquitos, and lack of heartworm treatment medication.
Additional tests during affordable heartworm treatment routinely run on dogs with heartworm disease include a blood chemistry panel, complete blood cell count, urinalysis, and chest X-rays. These, and possibly other tests, are necessary to plan appropriate treatment and to determine the dog’s prognosis.
