Heartworm Treatment |
| My family has adopted a dog from the local shelter that tested positive for heartworm disease. What treatment options are there for this disease? What would happen if we left the condition untreated? A: This is a very good question that is important for all canine pet owners to understand. First of all, there is really only one treatment available for heartworm disease today. The protocol consists of two intramuscular injections, 24 hours apart. This medication can be dangerous to the pet so blood is collected before the treatment to make sure the animal is internally healthy. If all is well, the injections are given and the animal sent home for a month of strict rest. It is very important that activity is limited during this time because this is the amount of time required for the animal's body to completely break down the dead parasites. If one of the dead worms were to pass out of the heart and into the lungs blocking a blood vessel, the animal could die suddenly! Left untreated, the worms would eventually cause damage to the right side of the heart and associated heart valves. Congestive heart failure is the end stage of this disease leading to death. Furthermore, if the heartworm positive dog is left off prevention he will act as reservoir for the contamination of other nearby pets via mosquitoes. It is definitely best to treat the disease and start the pet on heartworm prevention as soon as possible. Next week we will examine the latest in heartworm prevention. Until then, good luck and good pet parenting. |
