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Heart Worm In Dogs"Heart worm in dogs is caused by bites from infected mosquitoes. Symptoms are consistent with heart illness such as coughing, being short of breath and weight loss. Treatment options include medications and possibly surgery." There are two types of heart worm in dogs. In pulmonary heartworm disease, dogs have live heartworms in the pulmonary arteries. In caval syndrome, there are worms in the in the heart itself. The worms themselves may be alive or dead. Heartworm in dogs tend to be between 9 and 16 inches in length. Many people ask if heartworm medicine is necessary for a dog. The answer is a big yes. With over 70 kinds of mosquitoes carrying the disease, it is highly likely that one will bite and infect your dog. Prevention is the best approach for this disease. 
Picture of Adult heart worm in dogs in the right section of a dog's heart.
Getting Heartworm Disease In DogsDogs are highly likely to get heartworm disease if they are bitten by an infected misquito. The mosquito spreads heartworm disease by biting an infected dog, drinking in the heartworm and then passing on the worm by biting another dog.There are four factors that will affect how your dog reacts to heartworms: - Number of worms Dogs that are active tend to get a more severe case of heartworm disease than inactive dogs. Also, large dogs tend to tolerate the disease better than small dogs since small dogs have smaller artery openings in the heart. Symptoms of Dog Heart WormsDogs that have not had any treatments to prevent heartworm are checked for symptoms such as coughing, muscle weakness, weight loss, shortness of breath and vision problems.Diagnosis of Heartworm in DogsHeart worm in Dogs is diagnosed using blood test and sometimes x-rays. Blood tests usually do not detect the disease until the worms are at least 6 months old.Mild cases of heartworm disease can be detected while the disease is still treatable. Treatment Dog HeartwormsThere are three treatments for heart worm in dogs. These include surgery, treatments using drugs that kill the heartworms (melarsomine dihydrochloride) or no treatment if your dog has other problems such as liver problems.If you dog is diagnosed as having heartworm disease and is treated, the cure rate is excellent with 96% of dogs at a minimum being cured with an injection (melarsomine). The most common side effect of this treatment is some swelling where the injection was given. With 2 doses, 96% of dogs are cured with this treatment. In severe cases, surgery is used to remove heartworm if your dog is at high risk. After treatment, cage rest is often recommended. Most Veterinarians prefer to do this in their office, however, you can ask your Vet for a tranquilizer or keep our dog in a caged area. Heartworm Flea Tick Dog MedicineHeartworm preventatives should be used between ages 6 to 8 weeks. For dogs that have not been protected by one of the following treatments, a simple test in the Veterinarians office (antigen test) will determine if your dog has heartworms.There are several treatments that are effective in preventing heartworms. These approaches stop worm larva from developing during the 1st 2 months after infection. These drugs are used every month or in larger intervals. Even if you forget to treat your dog for 2 to 3 months, as long as you continue for the next 12, the treatments should be effective. They are: Heartgard Plus: Almost 100% effective in recent studies Adult Heartworm and DogsIt is rare for a human to contract heartworm. If an adult does get heartworm it is from a mosquito bite, not contact with a dog.Sources:Crans, Wayne J.Associate Research Professor In Entomology Rutgers Cooperative Extension From Heart Worm In Dogs to Worms Home Your dog deserves the best dog insurance! Keep your pets healthy and your pockets full with our
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