Heartworm treatment can be an extensive process requiring blood work, x-rays, hospitalization and multiple injections of Melarsomine; an injectable medication used to kill adult heartworms in both the heart and adjacent vessels.
Dead worms will decompose in their host’s lung and break apart into smaller fragments that will ultimately be reabsorbed by their system. Therefore, throughout treatment it is very important for dogs to strictly limit activity levels.
1. Pain at the injection site
Heartworm treatment requires multiple injections of Melarsomine dihydrochloride (commonly referred to as adulticide). This medicine should be given intramuscularly, deep into the epaxial muscles. Though pain may be experienced at injection sites, this can often be mitigated with proper technique and pain medication administration.
At first, adulticide injections should be given as day patients so that your pet can be closely monitored in case there is a reaction or death of heartworms. Over the next 30 days, you should monitor your dog carefully and contact their veterinarian immediately if you notice panting excessively, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood or fainting as these could all be signs that the treatment has caused severe side effects.
If your pet’s condition becomes unstable during treatment for heartworms, she may require hospitalization until her health improves. This typically requires intravenous fluids and oral medication such as Doxycycline or Prednisone depending on her needs.
After an appropriate rest period, your pet will receive their second injection of Melarsomine as an outpatient procedure, typically on day 2. They will then need two further day patient injections 24 hours apart over four treatments to maintain heartworm infection and avoid dislodging, dislocating, or traveling into their pulmonary arteries which could result in Pulmonary Thrombembolism – potentially deadly consequences for their life.
Renfri was lucky enough to come through her adulticide treatment successfully and will now receive year-round heartworm prevention medication in order to prevent another infestation. For more information about how you can protect your pet against heartworm disease, please consult your Tulsa and Broken Arrow veterinarian.
2. Vomiting
Heartworm treatment begins with a series of injections of the drug Melarsomine that kill adult heartworms in blood vessels in the lungs, spaced 24 hours apart. If your dog has severe heartworm disease, however, your veterinarian may advise beginning treatment first by giving intravenous fluids and possibly oral medications like Prednisone and Doxycycline for stabilization purposes before starting injections.
Vomiting may occur if your dog takes any medications containing active worms that can enter their bloodstream through vomiting. Vomiting is caused by too many dead worms in their system and could prove very hazardous for him/her. Contact your vet as soon as you notice vomiting taking place to seek immediate medical advice for him/her.
Once a dog is treated for heartworms, its vet will perform a test to make sure all worms have been eliminated. The results of the test can help your vet decide if you need to continue administering monthly heartworm preventives to your pup.
Moxidectin is currently the most popular heartworm preventive medication, providing six months of protection from heartworms and hookworms with each monthly injection. Moxidectin stands out among heartworm preventives in that its formulation employs microspheres containing absorbable lipids which slowly release its active ingredient: Moxidectin.
Moxidectin injectable is often recommended over traditional heartworm pills due to fewer side effects; however, this “slow kill” method doesn’t reduce complications as much and could even result in new heartworm infections as old ones die off.
3. Loss of appetite
Heartworm disease in dogs is a major health concern. It can lead to lasting damage in their lungs, arteries and heart and treatment may be necessary if treatment proves ineffective. Dogs become infected when mosquito bites their bloodstream introducing larvae from mosquito bites which develop into adult heartworms in their bloodstream and then reproduce, leaving behind microfilariae which travel back out into circulation with subsequent mosquito bites, spreading further infections across new hosts. Prevention should always be preferred over treatment when possible.
Once heartworm adults develop into adults, they begin producing offspring that infect other dogs – this process is known as the heartworm life cycle. Dogs are especially prone to this disease where adults live for many years causing irreparable damage to pulmonary vessels and heart structures. Luckily, adulticide drugs exist that can kill off these heartworms to end the harmful cycle.
Treatment requires giving a series of injections to kill adult heartworms on your pet, with each injection given 30 days apart over 24 hour-span and antibiotics prescribed to protect against any potential infectious bacteria that might have been carried by dead worms.
Coughing may become evident seven to eight weeks post treatment as dying worms cause inflammation of pulmonary vessels. If it becomes particularly severe or the dog displays other signs of heartworm disease such as shortness of breath, coughing up blood or fever then contact your veterinarian immediately.
Melarsomine, a newly released medication designed to kill adult heartworms more effectively with reduced side effects has recently become available as a treatment option. While more dangerous than preventative medicines, this may still be appropriate for certain pets. Pet owners must remember that even with this approach there remains the potential risk of long-term heart and lung damage from heartworm infestation – therefore prevention remains key.
4. Fever
Your dog will undergo treatment by receiving multiple injections of Immiticide (melarsomine dihydrochloride), an arsenical compound used to kill adult heartworms. The injections should be given deep into muscle of his back on alternate sides – this may cause slight fever as an adverse reaction from taking this medicine.
Once heartworm adults die, their offspring, called microfilariae, enters a dog’s bloodstream. Mosquitoes then take advantage of feeding on this infected blood meal to absorb these microfilariae and spread them when they bite new dogs.
Heartworm medications help prevent new infestations from taking hold, but cannot kill off existing heartworms that have already established themselves in a dog. Once present, they mature within his/her heart and lungs for years before finally dying off; Melarsomine is currently the only treatment which can systematically eliminate existing heartworms.
As soon as your dog has been identified with heartworms, an extensive set of tests including blood tests and x-rays will be conducted in order to assess its severity and develop a treatment plan that is safe. If necessary, an echocardiogram may also be conducted in order to assess their heart and pulmonary arteries.
Your dog will then begin treatment according to his or her needs, such as two melarsomine injections given 24 hours apart followed by 30 days of strict kennel rest while your veterinarian listens closely for any heart or lung irregularities to make sure the worms have been killed completely. Additional medications may also be recommended in some instances to minimize complications like coughing and weakness.
5. Depression
Acquiring heartworm disease can be devastating for dogs and their owners. Not only is the condition fatal for the animal itself, but its treatment requires multiple trips to the vet, blood tests, x-rays, hospitalization and injections – not an easy or cheap feat.
Preventive medicine against heartworm disease in pets is vital, yet even the best preventive medications have their limitations and are often ineffective. For instance, oral monthly heartworm medications only kill adult worms while leaving microfilariae behind that could develop into full-grown heartworms that cause life-threatening damage to their lungs and cardiovascular systems if allowed to mature into matured forms.
Treating heartworm infection can be difficult. Once adult heartworms have matured, they’ve moved too deep into pulmonary arteries for their natural death to occur. Melarsomine dihydrochloride, an arsenical compound injected intramuscularly in epaxial muscles (large muscles on the back), is one medication which has proven successful at killing them both mature and immature worms; its injection may cause local pain, swelling, soreness and even an abscess formation at injection site.
Studies have proven that an oral version of heartworm drug is just as effective and has less side effects than injectable versions, making them the better option. To protect your pet and ensure its protection, always follow your vet’s advice for administration, then conduct another heartworm antigen test nine months post treatment. Ideally, physical exertion should be limited during this timeframe to slow the rate at which heartworms damage lung and heart tissue, so your dog should only walk on leash with short walks taken each day.