Heartworms: The Silent Killer
One of the most preventable diseases for dogs is also one of the most serious and potentially fatal diseases known to dogs, heartworms. While dogs are the primary victims of heartworm, it can also affect ferrets, cats and exotic animals. There are a few human cases of heartworm as well.
Heartworms are transferred animal to animal mainly by mosquitoes. A mosquito bites an infected animal, at this point the microfilariae or young heartworms move into the mosquito’s blood stream. In a matter of two weeks, these young heartworms have grown into infective larvae. When the mosquito bites other animals at this point, they pass these infected larvae to those animals.
Once an animal is bitten they are now infected. There is a six month process that begins as the larvae mature into adults. During the first three months the larvae move through the dog’s body until the reach the blood vessels of the lungs. In the next three months they grow into adults and enter the heart. Once the heartworms reach the heart they continue to grow reaching about 14 inches in length.
The worms begin to damage the blood vessels which results in severe heart and lung disease. If both sexes of worms are in the heart, they will mate and create new young heartworms that will spread and begin to destroy other organs in the dog once the immune system tries to attack the infection. Heartworms can live anywhere from five to seven years in dogs.
The likelihood of your dog getting heartworms can increase greatly depending on where you live, your vet will be able to tell you the level of risk in your state. There is a potential threat in every state with the exception of Alaska. Every dog, regardless of whether they are indoor or outside dogs are susceptible. Traveling can also increase the risk of your dog getting heartworms, so talk to your vet about where you are going and see if there is extra protection that you should take to protect your dog.
It is important to know that your dog may not show any signs of being infected at first. As the disease progresses your dog may develop a cough, they may become lethargic, they could have problems breathing and have a decrease in appetite. You might also notice that your dog gets very tired with little exercise.
To find out if your dog has heartworms your vet will do a blood test. They may also request that chest x-rays and an echocardiogram are done to confirm the blood test results. These tests are also done to help your vet determine possible medical treatment.
As we stated at the beginning, heartworms is the most preventable disease known to dogs. It is far easier to prevent the disease then it is to treat. If by chance your dog does become infected there is a treatment that has been approved by the FDA. You need to know that there is a risk involved with treating your dog, but serious side effects are less likely if your dog is otherwise healthy and when the disease is caught in the early stages.
Treatment is designed to kill the adult worms and the young heart worms that are currently alive in your dog. Then your dog is hospitalized for some time afterwards. Your dog will need complete rest as well as medications to help lower the chance the risk of an inflammatory response as the worms are being killed.
You may also wonder if it is possible for the worms to be surgical removed. The answer is yes, they can…however this is an incredibly risky procedure and in most cases this treatment option is only used for severe cases.
As you can see, treatment is considerably more expensive then taking preventive measures. Heartworms is 100% preventable. There are a number of approved preventives that are available and your vet can recommend the best method based on your pet’s lifestyle and risk factors.
Tags: dogs, dog food, dog health, pet, commercial dog food, pets, dog nutrition, holistic dog food
Tags: heartworm, heartworm information, heartworm prevention, heartworm treatment, heartworms
