FAQ About A Dog With Heartworm Disease

Are you puzzled as to why your dog is suddenly not as active as usual? If the change occurred after your dog was playing around mosquitoes, you might want to get him or her examined for heartworms. This article will cover a few of the questions that you might have in mind in regards to your dog possibly having heartworms.

How Are Mosquitoes Associated with Heartworm Disease?

If your dog was playing around mosquitoes, it is possible that he or she was bitten by one of them. Heartworms can develop in a dog if he or she is bitten by a mosquito carrying an organism called dirofilaria immitis. The organism can spread after a mosquito injects it into the bloodstream of a victim.

How Severe Can the Symptoms Become?

Symptoms can range from being as minor as your dog feeling fatigue, to possibly being fatal. Neglecting to get your pet treated when he or she is only experiencing minor symptoms is what can lead to death. Some of the symptoms that are associated with heartworm disease in a dog include running a high fever, panting and developing jaundice. You might notice that your dog is losing a lot of weight when the condition becomes severe.

How Is Heartworm Disease Diagnosed?

A veterinarian can make a diagnosis by giving your dog a heartworm antigen test. Basically, your dog's blood will be drawn and stabilized to make sure clotting doesn't occur. The blood will then be tested for protein from the female worm, which is commonly left behind as microfilariae are passed into the bloodstream.

What Kind of Treatment is Necessary?

Each dog that has heartworm disease might require a different type of treatment. The specific symptoms experienced will determine the type of treatment that is necessary. It is likely that your dog will be admitted into an animal hospital so he or she can be monitored and can receive an adulticide that can kill adult heartworms. In a severe case of heartworm disease, a veterinarian might have to perform surgery to get rid of the worms.

How Much Does Treatment Cost?

What you are charged to treat your dog for heartworm disease depends on his or her size. The severity of the disease will also play a role in the prince. Expect to pay at least $500 for treatment, but the price can go over $1,000.

Take your dog to an animal hospital in case he or she is suffering from heartworm disease. Contact a facility like Pittsburgh Spay & Vaccination Clinic for more information.