Few things are sadder for a vet to treat than an advanced case of heartworms. The treatment can be brutal once worms mature in the heart’s chambers, and sometimes, they’re fatal despite our most valiant efforts. The good news is that heartworms are very preventable.
Heartworm Disease Prevention
When a mosquito infected with heartworm larvae (baby heartworms) bites a dog, the larvae enter the pet through the bite wound. Over the next few months, these tiny worms make their way inside the pet to the heart and lungs, maturing into adult heartworms and causing severe damage to these organs and associated blood vessels.
We’re not talking about repeated mosquito bites. One bite from one mosquito is all it takes for your canine to get heartworms.
Mosquitos Are a Natural Part of Florida Living
Living in Florida, we know that we can’t eliminate mosquitos from our environment. But we CAN easily protect our dogs from getting heartworms from their bite. There’s a brief window (approximately two months after infection) when these baby worms can be killed. If a heartworm disease preventive is administered during this crucial time, your dog will be protected against heartworm disease.
What If You Miss a Monthly Preventative Treatment?
If the immature worms are allowed to continue developing inside your dog, they will become resistant to heartworm disease preventives. At that point, treatment will be required to kill the adult worms. But treatment can be difficult, costly, and even deadly.
Untreated, heartworms can grow up to a foot or more in length. Even if they are treated successfully, heartworms can cause lasting damage to a dog’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
The best way to protect your dog against heartworm disease is by regularly giving them a heartworm disease preventive.
It can be deadly when you get a heartworm treatment into the system of a dog already infected with adult heartworms. So, consult your veterinarian if you missed a dose.
What Are the Signs of Heartworm Disease in Dogs
Heartworm disease can cause:
- Coughing or gagging
- Difficulty or rapid breathing
- Fatigue/weakness
- Reluctance to exercise or exercise intolerance
- Swelling in the abdomen
- Weight or appetite loss
- Sudden collapse or death
Heartworms may cause no symptoms, especially in the early stages.
Dogs with a lot of worms can develop caval syndrome, in which a large mass of worms blocks blood flow through the heart. This life-threatening condition requires surgery and is often deadly.
How Do I Know Preventative Treatments Are Working?
Your vet will draw some blood to test your dog each year during their annual physical for heartworm disease. Even if a dog is on year-round preventives, it is still possible for them to get heartworm disease. Say your dog accidentally misses a dose. Or maybe he goes outside and spits out or vomits up the medication unnoticed as some do. This would cause him not to be protected.
What Do We Recommend to Prevent Heartworm Disease?
Protecting our patients against heartworm disease is a top priority for us. It’s much easier and safer to prevent than to treat.
At Jacksonville Community Pet Clinic, we prescribe Heartgard or Simparica Trio to prevent against heartworms. These major manufacturers also often offer rebates, which we keep updated on the specials page of our website.
Call us if you’re running low on a heartworm preventive for your pet or if it’s time to schedule your dog’s next heartworm test. It’s the most important thing you can do to protect your pet’s health.
