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Preventing and Treating Heartworm in DogsTreating heartworm in dogs is very harsh as the drugs used are very toxic. The preferred route therefore is heartworm prevention.
If you live in a place where mosquitoes are aplenty, you need to take measures to prevent heartworm disease in your dog.
This page takes an indepth look at heartworm in dogs, including dog heart worm symptoms, as well as preventive measures and a discussion on natural remedies for heartworm in
dogs.
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What is Heartworm?
The heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a parasite that lives in the heart of a dog. Dogs are the natural hosts of heartworms although in rare cases cats can be
infected as well.
Heartworms are about the size of thin spaghetti and can grow as long as 11 inches. Adult heartworms produce young ones called microfilaria which circulate
through the dog's bloodstream in greatest numbers in hot weather when mosquitoes are abundant.
When a mosquito bites an infected dog, the microfilaria are sucked up by the mosquito. Once inside the mosquito, the larvae must develop through more stages before they can
infect another dog. For that to happen, outside temperatures must remain above 57°F (13.9°C), day and night, for a minimum of 8 days. The warmer the temperature,
the faster the larvae will mature.
If the temperature drops below 57°F, the larvae stop developing until the weather warms up to 57°F or above. Larvae reach their infective stage in 8 to 30 days.
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Cause of Heartworm in DogsWhen an infected mosquito bites a dog, the mirofilaria are deposited on the skin, where they progress through two more developmental stages under the skin. After that, they enter the bloodstream via nearby veins. Once inside the body, they migrate to other body tissues and eventually to the heart. They usually occupy the right heart chamber, i.e. the side of the heart that pumps blood to the lungs. They also like to hang out in the pulmonary arteries (arteries of the lung). Once settled into their new "home", they eventually develop into adult worms, reproduce, fill the blood with microfilaria, and pass it on to the next mosquito. The maturation process takes about 6 to 7 months after the original mosquito bite. Adult heartworms can live up to 7 years in a dog. TopDog Heart Worm SymptomsAccording to the American Heartworm Society, during the early stages of infestation, a dog may show few, if any, symptoms, since the number of heartworms in a dog tends to accumulate gradually over a period of months and sometimes years and after repeated mosquito bites. Dogs with a heavy heartworm infestation may eventually show symptoms, which are mostly respiratory-related and include:
Treating Heartworm in Dogs - DiagnosisHeartworms can be diagnosed by means of a simple blood test when a veterinarian finds microfilaria in the blood. As mentioned above, an infected dog may not show any symptoms of illness at its early stage or if the infestation is light. Usually a dog has to be infested with a considerable number of worms before showing symptoms. If you live in a high-risk areas, it is therefore important to have regular blood tests to make sure that your dog is not infected. TopTreating Heartworm in DogsTreating heartworm in dogs is very involved and almost always requires hospitalization. The treatment can be very dangerous as well because the drugs used are arsenic-based and are understandably very toxic. Treating heartworm involves the injection of the heartworm drugs into an infected dog to kill the adult heartworms. However, unlike intestinal worms which can then be eliminated through the digestive system, the dead heartworms have nowhere to go - they die in the heart chamber and the pulmonary arteries and then start to decompose over about 30 days. During the 30 days after the injection, the dog patient has to be kept very quiet to decrease the chances of these tiny pieces of dead worms from going into the deeper arteries of the lungs causing obstruction of the blood vessels, which can sometimes cause immediate death to the dog. Also, the massive die-off of the worms can cause severe inflammation and even respiratory failure. Sadly, not all dogs survive the treatment. If your dog unfortunately requires heartworm treatment, use herbs such as Milk ThistleTreating Heartworm in Dogs - Preventative Measures
Since treating heartworm in dogs is extremely risky and hard on the dog, the preferred route is taking preventative measures.
Conventional preventive measure is the use of drugs to kill the heartworm larvae (microfilaria) before they mature. The most common preventative
drugs for heartworm are ivermectin (Heartgard®), milbemycin (Interceptor®) and selamectin (Revolution®).
Compared to other medications, these drugs are generally safe and effective as the dose needed to prevent heartworm infection and disease is very tiny, approximately
1/30 of that necessary to treat other parasitic diseases.
However, the drugs can cause side effects in some dogs.
Side effects associated with ivermectin include depression, balance problems, and blindness, although these are uncommon at the low doses used in
heartworm preventatives. However, ivermectin should be used with caution in collies and related breeds such as Old English Sheepdodgs and Australian Shepherds, who are more
sensitive to the neurological effects of the drug.
Milbemycin, the most common alternative drug for collie breeds, can cause depression, lethargy, vomiting, appetite loss, diarrhea, convulsions, weakness and excessive
drooling.
Selamectin side-effects include diarrhea, vomiting, muscle tremors, appetite loss, lethargy, drooling, and rapid breathing.
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Treating Heartworm - Are There Any Effective Natural Remedies?Some dog parents are reluctant to give conventional heartworm preventive drugs to their dogs in view of the potential side effects that may be caused. Many wonder if there are alternatives such as herbal or homeopathic remedies that can prevent heartworm infection in dogs. There are a few herbal and herbal-homeopathic combo remedies that claim to be able to prevent heartworm in dogs. However, they all contain the herb wormwood which, although a classic dewormer, is too strong and can be toxic if used for long periods. (Wormwood should not be used at all in dogs with liver disease.) Black walnut hull is another herb that is used in some herbal formulae for heartworms. However, this herb should also be used with care because of the potentially irritating tannine constituents it contains which can cause vomiting, diarrhea and gastritis in dogs. In addition, it is not really clear if black walnut hull is effective in preventing or treating heartworm in dogs. Some veterinarians, including Dr. Pitcairn, have been experimenting with a homeopathic preventive "nosode" made from microfilaria-infected blood. It is still in its clinical study stage, but the results are encouraging. In the future, this may eventually be the alternative to drug use. It seems that for now, if you live in an area where mosquitoes are plentiful, the best way is to use conventional heartworm preventive drugs to protect your dog from getting infected. In addition, you may want to:
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