Heartworm is one of the deadliest worms for quite a wide range of animals. It causes a serious ailment to animals ranging from wild ones to pets, which is though preventable, but potentially fatal too. The parasite hasn’t got any of its own mechanism of transmitting from one animal to another. The parasite is transferred through mosquitoes that carry heartworms’ larvae. Dogs particularly being more vulnerable and providing a natural, nurturing environment, these worms grow and the reproduce inside a dog’s body easily.

Heartworm disease in dogs is curable, but can bring serious conditions and lead the dog to death. It is required to be managed well round the year for ensuring the survival of the affected dog. The treatment should not stop during any of the seasons, cold or hot, as prescribed by the American Heartworm Society. The worms inside, do continuous damage to the heart and blood vessels, therefore the treatment must not be halted in any season, or the worms may bring some immediate condition during the time without medicines.

The American Heartworm Society has published a revision of its guidelines as a step that it had taken to create awareness about proper care and management of the disease. The year 2018’s edition focuses mainly on the heartworm test, treatment, prevention and its biological origins.

Should I Panic If My Dog Tests Positive?

The disease is not an incurable one and can be treated and managed well. Various vaccines and medicines are available in the market which are quite effective too. The technical aspect is to just understand the stage of the disease and assess it near perfection to be in a position to figure out the best suited treatment for the dog.

In most of the cases, heartworms take a long time to be completely eradicated from the dog’s heart. During the time, the treatment has to be kept regular and organized, so that the larvae which are continuously harming the dog don’t get uncontrollably threatening, Dog Heartworm Test at Home.

Endorsed and Accepted Heartworm Medications by Veterinarians:

In spite of the fact that we have now medications available to treat the heartworm disease, it is highly recommended to apply as much precaution as possible to prevent it. Prevention of heartworm disease is wiser and much appreciable as the disease can at times lead to serious, immediate conditions of the dog and causes him a lot of pain.

However some medically sound and endorsed medications for the disease by veterinarians are the following:

Heartgard® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel):

Heartgard Plus chewable tablet can be a useful medicine for dogs to prevent heartworm disease. Veterinarians suggest a monthly dosage of the medicine for 2 months to completely eliminate heartworm larvae.

Sentinel Tablets:

Sentinel is a powerful medication for dogs to control fleas and heartworms in them. It can be administered to dogs as small as 2pounds.

Revolution® Dog:

Another parasite control that can be effective to control heartworms and prevent fleas from hatching out. Revolution is a vaccine that is injected into the bloodstream of a dog from the bottom of the neck.

Trifexis® Tablets:

Trifexis is a beef flavored medicine which is probably the most effective and provide prevention from a number of parasites. The distinction of Trifexis is that it is also effective to control adult heartworms unlike other medications.

When to Give the Heartworm Test to Your Dog

Heartworms are transported through mosquitoes. Any doubted exposure to mosquitoes should be alarming enough for you to give your pet dog a heartworm test.

Very importantly, the dogs usually dwelling inside should not be complacently taken as safe from the parasite. Mosquitoes can be inside your house too and bite your dog. American Heartworm Society recommends to have a test for your dog every twelve months.

What indicates the Disease?

Heartworms can live inside a dog’s body for around 7 years and harm it to even its death. The worst part is that the deadly worms do not appear for 5 to 6 months in the bloodstream as they are transmitted as larvae through mosquito bites.

However the symptoms of the disease include:

• Coughing

• Unable to practice exercise

• Breathing difficulties

• Enlargement of the liver

• Death

Heartworms’ Treatment

There are several phases of the treatment for heartworms in dogs. Depending upon the severity of the disease, it is decided if the dog needs a surgery or can be dealt with medications. Surgical removal of heartworms is subject to extremely severe cases and is a high risk medical practice.

Medications include a few substances like Melarsomine which is used to kill adult heartworms. While doxycycline and prednisone are used to control the side effects of the medicines.

Some exercise restrictions are also prescribed as a vital part of the treatment. These restrictions are not only crucial to the treatment, but are also important in terms of the dog’s comfort and convenience.

Precautions and Recommendations

Heartworm disease can be deadly and very painful to your dog. Even though the treatment is available, what is highly advised is to take proper precautions to avoid the chances of exposure to mosquitoes and prevent the disease as much as possible. Try not to leave your dog out in open space for long hours and keep it covered to what extent is possible in order to minimize the exposure. You can also use mosquito repellent lotions for dogs to keep the parasite away.

As far as the treatment or prevention is concerned, give your dog yearly check-ups and do follow the standard guidelines set by your veterinarian, or the American Heartworm Society.