Things To Know About Heartworm Treatment For Dogs

Pets are much more than animals for pet parents. They are an inseparable part of their heart and an integral part of the pet parent’s life. And that’s the reason why a pet parent’s heart falls apart when their pet is diagnosed with horrifying heartworms. The heartworm disease in dogs is preventable but it can provoke menacing diseases if left untreated. That spaghetti-like worms grow in the dog’s body and blocks his heart. After the diagnosis of heartworms in a pet, the even scarier part is to know what heartworm treatment involves.

Whether your dog is diagnosed with heartworms or you’re looking for ways to prevent heartworms in dogs, this is what you need to know about heartworm treatments in dogs.

 

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What to do When Your Dog Is Diagnosed with Heartworms

It is imperative for pet parents to know that your dog may or may not directly display the symptoms of heartworm disease. Therefore, you need to pay heed on them and if they show any symptoms such as cough, lethargy, decreased appetite, blood in the urine or collapsing then immediately rush to your veterinarian. Once the pet is diagnosed with heartworms on the basis of its severity, size and stage, the vet will recommend heartworm treatments.

 

How To Treat Heartworm Disease in Dogs

It becomes important to treat heartworms when they reach a level which creates a block in your dog’s heart. The mature heartworms, work their way into your dog’s heart, lungs and associated blood vessels. If your dog is diagnosed with such matured heartworms then it can be a case where they require actual heartworm treatment and not just the preventives. It takes 60 days to complete a heartworm treatment as it consists of a series of injections that kills the worms. Generally, the vet will recommend completing the course of heartworm treatment and antibiotics including doxycycline and prednisone to be taken orally in order to reduce the chances of unwanted side effects.

 

When Surgery Becomes Necessary To Treat Heartworms In Dogs 

When heartworm disease takes a severe turn, the surgery becomes crucial to cure the heartworm diseases in dogs. The heartworms grow in such a way that they are not only found in the heart but also in a large vein called caudal vena cava, located between the heart and liver. It is only in the severe cases of the heartworms in dogs may require surgery to remove the worms from the vessel within the lungs and heart.

 

How To Care For a Dog Undergoing Heartworm Treatment

Heartworm treatment is generally undertaken for several months. It’s a very effective treatment but its recovery requires patience from the pet parents. Constraining your dog from exercising is one of the most important aspects of home care for dogs undergoing heartworm treatment. Ensure to provide a vet-recommended diet to your Fido. Take your dog outside for a short on-leash walk and above all treat him with utmost affection and care.

It can be painful for dogs to undergo heartworm treatment but prevention is easy and well-tolerated by most of the dogs. Therefore, by preventing heartworm in dogs, you can save your Fido from undergoing a difficult and long-process heartworm treatment.