Heartworm: A Costly, Preventable Disease
Meet Bear. Bear is a timid St. Bernard-Collie mix who is another victim of heartworm disease due to the of lack of preventative heartworm care.
Heartworm disease develops when a mosquito carrying the heartworm larvae of the parasite Dirofilaria immitis, is transmitted to a dog or cat. As a mosquito feeds, these microscopic larvae are deposited on the dog and quickly penetrate the skin and migrate into the dog’s bloodstream. If left untreated, these juvenile worms grow into adult worms that can grow 10 to 12 inches in length and make their home in the right side of the heart and pulmonary arteries, eventually causing lung disease and heart failure.
Click here to read more about the heartworm life cycle form the American Heartworm Society.
Although heartworm is not unique to dogs (cats can get heartworm too!), the infection rate is more prevalent in canines than in felines. Read more about canine versus feline heartworm.
Detection, Treatment, and Prevention
Detection
Detecting heartworm infections in dogs can be done by a veterinarian through blood tests, or by using X-ray or ultrasound imaging. Often more than one method of testing is required since heartworms cannot be detected until they are seven months old and male heartworms cannot be detected in blood tests.
Treatment
There are currently two drugs approved by the FDA for use in dogs for the elimination of adult heartworms. Both drugs are organic arsenical compounds. Dogs receiving these drugs will typically have had a thorough pretreatment evaluation of their condition, and will be hospitalized during the administration of the drugs. After the drug has been administered, the most common post-adulticide complication is the development of severe pulmonary thromboembolism. Pulmonary thromboembolism results from the obstruction of blood flow through pulmonary arteries due to the presence of dead heartworms. If heartworm adulticide treatment is effective, some degree of pulmonary thromboembolism usually will occur. Treatment for adult and juvenile heartworm generally takes several months. During this entire treatment the dog must have a strict reduction in exercise to avoid the obstruction of blood flow.
Prevention
Heartworm preventitives are the responsibility of every dog owner. They are highly effective, safe, easy to administer, and relatively inexpensive. These drugs are highly effective when administered at the appropriate doses and intervals. Before starting a preventative treatment, a dog should always be tested for a possible heartworm infection.
Heartworm disease is a complicated illness with serious consequences and difficult treatment. Prevention is clearly the best approach!
Learn more about heartworm disease from the American Heartworm Society at www.heartwormsociety.org
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