What is heartworm disease?
Spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, heartworm disease is caused by a parasitic worm called dirofilaria immitis.
Pets can become 'definitive hosts' for heartworms after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Being a definitive host means that the worms grow into adults and produce offspring while living inside of your pet.
The name heartworm comes from the fact that these parasites thrive within the heart, lungs and blood vessels of infected animals.
What are symptoms of heartworm disease?
The symptoms of heartworm don’t show up until the disease has progressed severely. Symptoms of the progressed condition include fatigue, swollen abdomen, weight loss, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
How does the vet check my pet for heartworms?
Your veterinarian can do blood tests to screen your pet for heartworm disease. If heartworms are present, your vet will be able to detect proteins called antigens, in your the pet's blood.
The soonest that your veterinarian will be able to detect heartworm antigens in your animal's blood is approximately five months after your pet has been infected.
What if my pet is diagnosed with heartworms?
Prevention of heartworm disease is always better than treatment
If your pet is diagnosed with heartworm disease there are treatment options available. However, the treatment for heartworm disease can cause serious complications and be potentially toxic. Heartworm treatment is expensive because your pet will require multiple visits to the vet, bloodwork, x-rays, hospitalization, and a series of injections.
Melarsomine dihydrochloride is an arsenic-containing drug that is FDA-approved to kill adult heartworms in pets. The drug is injected into the pet's back muscles to treat the condition.
There are also topical FDA-approved solutions available from your vet which, when applied to your pet's skin, can help to get rid of the parasites in your pet's bloodstream.
How can I prevent my pet from getting heartworm disease?
Our Greensboro vet recommends that dogs be tested for heartworms annually, even if they are already on preventive heartworm medication.
To protect your pet from heartworm preventive medication is available from your vet. Preventing heartworm disease is safer, easier, and much more affordable than treating an infected animal!
An added benefit of many preventive medications is that they can also protect your pet against other parasites such as hookworms, whipworms, and roundworms
Our Wellness Plans can help you budget for your pet's routine annual healthcare such as heartworm prevention. Choose the Wellness Plan that's right for your pet.
Looking for a vet in Greensboro?
We're always accepting new patients, so contact our veterinary hospital today to book your pet's first appointment.
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