more info at: www.doghealthpr... - Sam Meisler DVM, a small animal veterinarian, discusses Dog Heartworm Disease - how to treat and how to prevent heartworm disease in dogs.
Heartworm disease is definitely worth treating because the prognosis can be very good. Xrays of the chest are the best way to see the severity of the disease. And most of the time, after treatment there are no long lasting effects once you get out 60 days.
@EGMAG Actually, the heartworm adulticide we use (Immiticide) has a much safer window than the previous adulticide that we used back in the 80s and earlier. In fact, I have never ever lost a heartworm positive dog to immiticide nor caparsolate toxicity (in 20 years of practice). Pure arsenic is toxic to most animals but immiticide while considered an arsenical is not the same thing. I appreciate the comment. Comments such as these allow one to dispel myths that are brought up. Thanks, Dr Sam
As far as I know, we do not get heartworm disease. Larva can be injected into our bodies by mosquitoes, however, and sometimes they form what are called "coin" lesions in our lungs which mimic cancer. One then has to undergo an invasive biopsy just to know that it is not cancer. Thanks, Sam
I live were the winters are cold and the summer hot. I don't give my dog hear worm meds in the winter since mosquitoes are not around in the cold winter.
As far as we know, people do not get a full blown heartworm infection. Very rarely, what is called a "coin" lesion will show up on a chest xray in the lungs. This is a larva that has been walled off. Unfortunately, often one has to do an invasive lung biopsy to prove that it is just a dead larva.
@TheBrindleBoxer It is definitely possible for your dog to have been infected with heartworms with a 2-3 month gap. Ivermectin (Heartgard or Iverhart) is the best one to use immediately after a gap and then monthly for the next 12 months. It has the best "reachback" and will make it less likely for your dog to get heartworms. Thanks, Sam
My German Shepherd has and in the blood tests says its positive my dog has a adult heartworms and now all i have to do is giving the medicine and i hope all is well.
my dog just got positive but she isnt coughing not experiencing weight loss and shes happier as normal does that mean she has a strong heart or something?
hi, i was wondering i have a belgian malinois that is starting the heartworm treatment. I was wondering how worried i should be considering we are going to be adopting him soon, should we be looking for more current vet bills? Will he be more prone? Will his heart be affected forever once the worms are decomposing? Please, please help with this :/
If you give your dog only half the medicine instead of the full dose, is it still enough to combat the heartworm? My dog is a 4 and a half pound papillon, and the heartworm medicine makes her sick. I actually have to give her a perscription antivomit medicine along with the heartworm medicine. it works she doesn't vomit the next day.
Hi there so I have a cairn terrier, she's 4 years old. Last Friday we had to put our chihuahua down since he was having heart failure and we caught it 2 late, my concern is that he actually had worms. I'm worried that MY dog, the cairn may have them, at night before bed she will just lay there and heavily pant, to the point that it shakes the bed, she has been over eating as of late and drinking a lot of water as of today. She's not losing weight, but I'm worried that maybe it's bloating inst
the vet started my dog on heartgard a few weeks ago after a diagnosis and severe wheezing cough. Her coughing subsided for a short time but is now back with a increased severity. The vet wasn't too concerned iniitally about her coughing as he was more concerned with the heartworms themselves. Am I wrong to wait with her cough like this? the weather is really cold now and that has seemed to exacerbate the problem.
I'm still crying because my dog is getting weaker from heart worms. The vet said to get her weight up before they give her shots, but she's not getting heavier. Please tell me what I should do.
For a moment, I thought it would be better to delete this post but then I thought it is too important to not address. If you have a dog that tests positive for heartworms and your vet tells you he is going to die, and then he lives for years and years without treatment, you too might think your vet is a liar. The thing is that it is possible that a dog only have 6-10 worms on board, test positive and not die. This is not the usual case and most dogs have 50-100 worms and die untreated. Sam
Hello Doctor! I wanted to know if dogs in Central America are also at risk of getting heartworms. I honestly haven't heard of heartworms in Central America before but I am not a vet. So I was wondering, my dog has had a dry cough for some years now when he gets excited and he is very active and no weight loss... so i was just wondering
My white Siberian Husky has a patch on top of his eye with no hair growing but the skin there looks, to me, larvae eating its way into my dogs bloodstream. Is it ok if I just wash that off?
@muntu1221 I thinks its like cancer . Most people can leave a lump alone and continue to live healthy and happy lives. with treatments they die much quicker. Insurance has given doctors a reason to be greedy.
