Heartworm in Dogs: How Heartworms Endanger Our Pets

Your pup’s health and wellness is a top priority, so it’s important to know about heartworm disease. Heartworm is a parasite that spreads through the bites of mosquitoes, and once infected, your pup will experience an incubation period of 6-7 months before the larvae grow into adult heartworms.

 

The danger the parasite poses to your pup’s health is referred to as their “worm burden,” and for many pups, their burden may be asymptomatic. However, it eventually catches up to them, progressing through 4 stages of severity. If your pup’s worm burden reaches a certain point, caval syndrome may develop.

 

This disease is when the worm burden is so high that your pup’s heart cannot properly function due to the restricting mass of worms. Your vet can perform risky heart surgery to treat caval syndrome...but prevention is always better than cure!

 

Heartworm is a serious threat to your dog's health. This parasite can grow for years undetected, dramatically affecting the quality of your pet's life.

 

The most common symptom of heartworm is a persistent cough that doesn't go away on its own. If you notice this symptom in your dog, immediate testing must be done by a veterinarian.

 

Heartworm can also cause other symptoms that will make your pup uncomfortable, including lethargy and weight loss. If you notice your dog has stopped running around or is more tired than usual, it could be suffering from heartworms.

 

Your vet will include a physical examination as well as blood work to determine if your dog has heartworms.

 

We Can Give Your Pet Relief at Hope Animal Clinic 

At Hope Animal Clinic, we are dedicated to providing high-quality medical care to all our beloved patients. If you believe your pet is struggling from the onset of heartworms, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. Our talented team will do everything they can to give your companion the relief they deserve to thrive and be happy by your side.