Canine Heart Worm Treatment
Heart worms are parasites that can kill your dog. Mosquitoes feed off of an infected dog and inject microfilae, which are the heart worm larvae, into another dog they feed from. Heart worms can be prevented through once a month preventives, but occasionally dogs on preventives can contract heart worms. Dogs who are not on preventives are at risk of contracting heart worms in heart worm prone areas.
There is a treatment for heart worm disease, but it can be costly and difficult on the dog.
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History
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Originally the way veterinarians treated heart worms was with an IV arsenic solution called Carparsolate. This is a painful treatment that also has quite a few complications including diarrhea, vomiting, kidney failure, jaundice and death. It is given intravenously twice a day for two days. Because of the complications, it isn't recommended for high-risk dogs who have liver or kidney failure or those with congestive heart failure.
Current Treatment
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Although veterinarians can still use Carparsolate, most prefer to use Immiticide, which has a higher margin of safety. It, too, uses arsenic to kill the heart worms but veterinarians give it as a series of three injections. Immiticide is combined with heartworm prevention medicine to kill heart worms younger than four months old.
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Time Frame
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Treatment for heart worm disease takes approximately six months with a subsequent heart worm test six months later to ensure that the heart worm infestation was eradicated. You must keep your pet quiet (no exercise or play) for the four months and have the dog on heart worm preventive medicine. The last two months, your dog can have very limited activity.
Your veterinarian may prescribe an antibiotic and a steroid (prednisone) for the month prior to the first injection. Your veterinarian will administer the Immiticide injection two months after your dog has been on the heart worm preventive medicine and has been kept quiet. A month later, your veterinarian will then give a series of two Immiticide injections and may treat with prednisone.
Cost
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The cost of heart worm treatment is in the thousands of dollars due to tests, overnight stays, medications and injections.
Considerations
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Heart worm tests and preventive medicines are lower cost and less stressful on the dog than treatment of heart worms. If the disease has progressed to the point where it has caused congestive heart failure or other complications, your dog may be too weak for treatment.
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References
- Photo Credit stray sleeping dog image by Cherry-Merry from Fotolia.com
