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Complete Expert Veterinary Care
Serving The West Side For Over 30 Years 
Answers To Some Common Questions About Heartworm Disease What are heartworms? Heartworms are blood borne parasites, which are transmitted by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry the immature heartworms and transmit them through their bite. The heartworms mature in your dog, eventually moving into your dog's heart. Why is heartworm disease so serious? The heartworms that invade your dog's heart block the normal flow of blood from the right side of the heart to the blood vessels that take blood to the lungs, This can cause congestive heart failure, as well as damage to other organs from the altered blood flow, which may ultimately lead to death. Not only is heartworm disease dangerous to your dog, but also if left untreated, your dog can become a source of infection for other animals. As the worms mature in your dog, they reproduce, releasing immature worms into your dog's bloodstream. When a mosquito bites your dog, it can then transmit the larvae from your dog to other animals. How can I prevent heartworm disease in my pet? There are several products on the market that when given monthly, can prevent heartworm disease. The products are available only by prescription from your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will likely require your dog to have a heartworm test, which involves drawing a small amount of blood from your dog, prior to starting your dog on any preventative. The preventative works by killing the immature heartworm larvae. If your dog is already heartworm positive, it will not rid your dog of the active infection, as the drug in the preventative does not kill the adult heartworms. However, it can prevent your dog from transmitting the disease to other animals. We recommend your dog be on heartworm preventative year round, Not only do heartworm preventatives prevent heartworm disease, they are also good general de-wormers for intestinal parasites. What if my dog test positive for heartworm disease? If your dog test positive for heartworm disease, there is treatment. This treatment involves two injections, given 24 hours apart, of a medication (Immiticide) that kills the adult heartworms. This treatment usually involves an overnight stay at your veterinarians office, so that your dog may be monitored and remains calm and quiet. The treatment is not risk free, and your veterinarian may recommend blood work and chest x-rays prior to treatment. This pre-treatment tests can help decide if treatment is safe for your dog, or if special precautions need to be taken. Once your dog has been treated, it needs to remain confined for 3-4 weeks. During this period, the adult heartworms are dying, and may enter the bloodstream. Keeping your dog quiet will help prevent further stress on your dog's heart and lungs. Can my cat get heartworm disease? Yes, cats can also become infected by heartworms. However, certain aspects of the cat's body make infection by more than one or two worms impossible, making the cat a dead end host, as the worms cannot reproduce in the cat. However, there is no treatment for heartworm disease in cats. They remain infected until the adult worm dies. The death of the worm can cause serious respiratory issues resulting in death. There are several heartworm preventatives on the market specifically for cats. Ask your veterinarian for further information on which one may be right for your cat. Information taken from: Dr. Michael Dryden's presentation on Clinical Parasitology, 2/15/06 To learn about this disease Visit Heartworm society .org  Contact Us |
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