The Science Behind Dogs Feeling Heartworms
Heartworms are a serious condition that can be fatal if left untreated. Not only is prevention important, but fast action after a diagnosis is as well.
Heartworm disease is divided into four stages, much like cancer. In the first stage, it will be tough to tell a difference in your dog at all. Even with a physical check-up from a vet, this will be hard to detect.
The second stage will result in a lingering cough and a tired pooch. You might find your energetic dog is super-fatigued. Then, the third stage rolls in, and this is where your dog will start to feel the impact. Their cough will continue, their exercise will be limited, theyll have trouble breathing, and they may even be coughing up blood.
By stage four, your dog will likely have long-term implications for their health, like enlarged liver or lungs and heart conditions.
When heartworm disease begins to spread, it becomes tougher for dogs to muster enough energy for even the simplest tasks. Routine actions like eating or enjoying a snack may prove to be too taxing, resulting in rapid weight loss.
If your pet suddenly loses interest in going for walks or being active, it may be a sign of heartworm. As the condition worsens, doing any type of physical activity may become too strenuous for your pup.
If your pet hasn’t been consistently treated for heartworm disease, early detection is the next best defense. Unfortunately, treatment for heartworm disease can be difficult, costly, and painful for your dog.
As we mentioned before, treatment for heartworm disease can be very expensive. The process is long and difficult and can be painful for your dog. In the end, there is no guarantee that your dog will be fully cured of the disease. That’s why prevention is the best medicine.
The kinds of symptoms your dog displays depend on the stage of the heartworm’s lifecycle. Keep in mind, these symptoms may also be signs of other conditions.
Are dogs in pain during heartworm treatment?Treatment for heartworm can cause serious complications for your pet’s health and can be potentially toxic to the dog’s body. Many dogs experience soreness and swelling at the site of their injections. The most severe side effects are related to a large number of worms suddenly dying.
So Your Dog Has Heartworms, What Now?
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially deadly disease that can affect dogs, cats and ferrets, as well as wild canine species. In the US, cases of heartworm disease have been reported in all 50 states, as well as in other parts of the world.
In this article, we’ll go over the common symptoms of heartworms in dogs and what you need to do next as a pet owner in Boston, MA.
Heartworm disease is caused by parasitic worms called heartworms. The reason that they’re called heartworms is that they live in the heart, more specifically the pulmonary artery of the heart. These worms can also infiltrate other parts of the heart and lungs, and if untreated, can cause severe lung disease, blockages of the valves of the heart, as well as damage to other vital organs in the body.
In severely affected dogs, you may see a swollen abdomen due to fluid buildup because the heart cannot effectively circulate blood, or notice a cough, or other signs such as respiratory distress. Heartworm disease in dogs is known as a silent killer, because it can take months before your dog shows symptoms.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos, which act as vectors and play an important part in the transmission of heartworms to your dog. Adult female heartworms create infant worms called microfilaria that circulate in the bloodstream of the body.
When a mosquito bites a dog or other canine that has heartworm disease and takes a blood meal, the mosquito ingests the baby worms, which develop and mature into the infective stage of larvae over a period of 10 to 14 days. When the infected mosquito, the vector, bites another dog, cat, or other animal, the infective larvae are injected into the new host through the mosquito’s bite.
Once inside the new host, it takes about six months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms. Once mature, heartworms can live for five to seven years in dogs, and up to two or three years in cats.
Heartworms can live a long time in your pet, and it’s important to note that with each new mosquito season, more heartworm larvae can be transmitted to your dog. When veterinarians diagnose heartworm disease, a blood test is run, and this test can detect heartworm antibodies in the blood. A blood smear can also show microfilaria moving in the blood sample on a slide.
