HEARTWORM IN DOGS AND EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW

Last Updated on December 11, 2023 by Thee Puppypreneur

WHAT IS HEARTWORM IN DOGS 

Heartworm in dogs is a parasitic worm that if left untreated could result in death. Most often it also results in damage to the lungs, kidneys, heart and liver.  

HOW DO DOGS GET HEARTWORM 

Firstly, heartworm is also called Dirofilaria immitis and is spread through the bite of a mosquito. It is transmitted from a mosquito that has already bitten a host that has been infected and then the mosquito becomes infected by the microfilariae. 

It can take about 6 months for a newly infected dogs’ heartworms to mature into adults. The heartworms can live in the dog for 5 –7 years before they die off.

CAN HUMANS GET HEARTWORM

YES! OMG YES! So, you can’t get heartworm disease from your dog or cat as it’s not zoonotic, meaning it can’t be transmitted from pet to human and isn’t contagious. 

It has been hypothesized that the same mosquito that could have bitten your dog could have bitten you too, if you were infected.  

However, here’s a scary fun fact. Heartworm disease is an endemic in the United States for both dogs and humans affecting the east and southeast regions. 

What is an endemic? Well, that means that it’s limited to a specific region or area but is consistently present. (13) 

HOW IS HEARTWORM IN DOGS DIAGNOSED 

Your veterinarian will collect a small sample of blood and possibly use a SNAP  test which takes a few drops of blood and a couple of minutes and then you can see for yourself the results on a test stick.  

Once a diagnosis has been made there might be more testing to diagnose the severity of the heartworm condition. If there are a substantial number of heartworms the treatment might be different than a dog that is newly infected. 

• X-rays 
• EKG/ECG (same thing)
• CBC 
• Serum Chemistry 

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HEARTWORM IN DOGS 

Symptoms of heartworm in dogs are usually undetectable until several months to years down the road. You wont see heartworms in your dogs poop either in case you are wondering. 

You may or may not notice these symptoms in your dog; 

• Weight loss 
• Cough
• Lethargy
• Labored Breathing
• Fainting 

HOW CAN YOU PREVENT HEARTWORM IN DOGS 

There are two schools of thought when discussing how to prevent heartworm in dogs, as there are obviously the man-made synthetic preventatives that you can readily buy with a prescription from your local veterinarian.  

You can also use flea and tick preventative topical medications. Just make sure they say they are for mosquitos too as some flea and tick medications don’t include mosquito preventative. This topical is waterproof and includes fleas, ticks and mosquitos

Amazon.com : K9 Advantix II XL Dog Vet-Recommended Flea, Tick & Mosquito Treatment & Prevention | Dogs Over 55 lbs. | 4-Mo Supply : Pet Flea Drops : Pet Supplies 

Or you can try the all-natural and holistic approach using herbs for heartworm in dogs prevention (as always make sure you consult with your veterinarian first). 

You can also use this mosquito, flea and tick repellant that has been proven to be 98-100% effective at repelling mosquitos.

Wondercide – Flea, Tick and Mosquito Spray for Dogs comes in several natural scents such as lemongrass, rosemary, peppermint or cedarwood. 

For a dog mosquito repellant, you can also make yourself a spray bottle at home. I use the below recipe when I am out of the above Wondercide spray; 

• 2-3 drops of rosemary essential oil or lemongrass essential oil 
• 1 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar (with Mother) 
• 5 to 7 ounces of distilled water  
• Put in water bottle and spray on dog daily 

HOW IS HEARTWORM TREATED IN DOGS

Heartworm in dogs is treated based on several underlying factors such as; pre-existing conditions the dog may have and the amount of heartworms present.  

Drugs like Diroban® which is generic melarsomine and the brand name is Immiticide® are the medications that are used to kill mature heartworm and some immature ones, but doxycycline is given to kill the remaining younger heartworm.  

Your vet will decide whether your dog receives 2 injections, 24 hours apart or whether your dog will receive 1 injection and then come back a month later and get the remaining 2 injections, 24 hours apart, easing your pet into the medication.

During and after the course of treatment you will want to avoid strenuous activity   to reduce the risk of respiratory problems that the dead worms could cause.  When the worms die they end up in the lungs until they start to decompose.

Of course, you will want to retest your dog to make sure you got rid of all the worms in another 8-12 months.

Signs of complications after heartworm treatment in dogs include; 

• Fever 
• Lack of appetite 
• Coughing
• Spitting up blood 
• Labored breathing
• Possibly Death

WHAT ALTERNATIVES OR NATURAL REMEDIES ARE THERE FOR HEARTWORM IN DOGS 

An all-natural approach to killing heartworm in dogs involves strengthening the heart prior to treatment if the dog has an underlying condition or the heartworms are severe. 

Dr. Blakely, a veterinarian for 31 years, has a treatment that is;

“multi-pronged, and includes an herbal treatment of black walnut to weaken or even kill the heartworms, homeopathic support of Arsenicum album for the heart energy, and a nutritional supplement for supporting the heart function.”    

Another option is a recipe from The Manual of Natural Veterinary Medicine;

• 14ml Ginger 
• 9ml Wormwood 
• 4ml Garlic 
• 14ml Thyme 
• 9ml Cinnamon 

Recommended starting dose is 0.1ml of tincture per 5 pounds of body weight of your dog, divided into 2-3 doses per day. ALWAYS consult your veterinarian before starting anything new in your or your dogs’ lives.

Wormwood could have neurotoxic effects or cause abnormal behavior and may need to be discontinued.

If after 2 months of dosing your vet checks the antigen levels and still discovers that there is no reduction in heartworm you will need to discontinue and find a new approach. 

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED

• There are many options out there for the treatment and prevention of heartworms in dogs. 
•  You need to make sure whatever method you choose that you take care of both the adult and the baby heartworms. 
•  You need to make sure that you don’t play or exercise strenuously with your dog during treatment and for a while in the weeks following the treatment. 
•  You need to also make sure that if you use herbs, you let your vet know of any underlying health issues or medications your dog is taking as they might interfere. 
•  Once you treat the heartworms and kill them you will want a preventative to keep them from coming back.  
• Heartworm treatment and heartworm preventative are two different things. 

For other reasons your dog might be coughing check out our other article below.

DOG COUGHING AND HIDDEN THE DANGERS BEHIND IT