Heartworm: Decoding the facts to understanding your pet’s heart

Every year, veterinarians brace themselves for the rising number of pets plagued by heartworm disease. Dogs, in particular, make up the perfect hosts for heartworms although the malady affects over 20 species of animals.

What is Heartworm?

The heartworm disease is as scary as it sounds since it’s basically a worm living inside your pet’s heart. The condition is a result of Dirofilaria immitis, a type of parasitic roundworm that migrates through the pet’s body to finally settle in your dog’s heart chamber and blood vessels. For most canines, heartworm disease begins with an infection injected by a mosquito carrying the parasitic larvae. The parasite primarily affects the heart and lungs although the central nervous system, kidney, and liver are also open to attack if not treated in time.

Detecting heartworm

Heartworm can be subtle and overlooked by most pet owners. According to the FDA, it takes about 6 to 7 months before infective larvae can fully mature into adult heartworm. That means few signs would practically show until the disease becomes severe enough.

As heartworm develops, often the first symptom is a mild cough that is joined by a reluctance or participation in high energy exercise. The dog may also experience a lack of appetite, loss in weight and breathing difficulties if the damage becomes irreversible.

Diagnosis and treatment

Heartworm diagnosis often revolves around blood tests and veterinarian will need blood samples from your dog to detect specific heartworm antigens. The earliest detection of heartworm infection can be visible in the dog’s bloodstream is after five months from an infected mosquito bite.

If the results turn out positive for heartworm, the dog owner may proceed to seek treatment based on the severity of the condition, infection period and the dog’s reaction to the disease. The therapy would revolve around multiple injections using FDA-approved medicines to eliminate the microfilariae inside the dog’s bloodstream. However, heartworm treatment is quite complex and might be toxic to the dog’s body.

Prevention is better than treatment

There are many FDA-approved products tailored to prevent heartworms in dogs. Medications products are given monthly, either as oral, injectable or as a topical liquid to apply. All these medications do require a veterinarian’s prescription since they are an all-year-round preventive measure to protect your pet. But, before starting the preventative medications make sure your pets are over six months of age to prevent severe complications from developing.

References: NIH, AAHA , FDA, Biomed Central