Heartworms in Dogs Must Be Treated Early

By Jude Wright
Heartworm in dogs in one of the most dangerous conditions that a dog can get. The worms can block a dog's blood vessels and badly damage the heart. The infected dog can have all types of symptoms: weight loss, shortness of breath, chronic cough, heart failure, and then, death.

Unfortunately, by the time these symptoms are noticed, it's too late to cure most dogs. Treatment must be started as soon as possible so watch for the following signs:

1. Your dog coughs frequently without any apparent reason. This cough is different than the "kennel cough" that some dogs get when you adopt them from the dog pound.

2. Your dog seems to tire easily with very little activity. He is gasping for breath and he will be panting almost constantly.

4. When you walk with your dog, he can't keep up with you and needs to rest more often. He will often just lie down and stay down even when you call him to get up.

5. Your dog's weight has dropped dramatically. By the time you notice her weight loss, it is usually too late for treatment.

6. By the time your dog has reached the end of her life, she is convulsing and has vision problems.

You can now see why a dog must be treated, but how did he get heartworms in the first place? From mosquitos.

Mosquitos feed on the blood of the dog around the muzzle, the ears, and on the stomach where there is the least amount of hair. They infect the dog while they are feeding on the dog's blood.

Treatments for heartworms is almost as dangerous as the heartworms themselves. The chemicals that are used must be very strong to be effective.

There are two ways to go with chemical treatments. The first is by smaller dozes given over a longer period of time. This isn't quite as dangerous as giving just one massive dose when a large amount of chemical is given. If the heartworms all die at once, the corpses travel through to the dog's lungs. This would cause immediate death.

Treatment for heartworm should never be given by anyone other than a highly qualified veterinarian.

There are also drugs available for heartworm prevention. These drugs kill the heartwarms before they get to the adult stage. Dogs can still get infected during mosquito season but they don't develop heartworms.

Preventative heartworm drugs can't ever be given to dogs that already have heartworms. Only a veterinarian can determine if a dog is already infected with heartworms. Blood tests can show if a dog has heartworms and to what degree.

You should make sure that your dog has a protected place to sleep during mosquito season. Bring him or her into the house, garage or a screened porch. Mosquito repellent is also available but it's not very effective.

Take your dog to the vet for frequent checkups so that heartworm infestation can be caught before it gets a good foothold. The veterinarian will be able to see the symptoms of heartworms long before you do.

Heartworm in dogs can be treated, but treatment must be started as soon as possible.

Jude Wright is the owner of multiple websites. Learn more about how to take care of your dog or puppy at http://dogandpuppycare.com .

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