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Dirofilaria immitus, otherwise known as Heartworm is a life threatening parasite which dogs catch. Adult heartworms live and grow in the heart and pulmonary arteries of dogs. It is spread by many types of mosquitoes and is a threat all year round in warmer climates. Some heartworms can also be found in the lungs and in large blood vessels. These parasites can live as long as five years. During this time, if there are both male and females present, they produce many tiny young called microfilaria.

When a mosquito bites a dog that already has heartworm, the microfilaria develop in the mosquito and then move to its mouth. Later, when this mosquito bites another dog, the microfilaria is injected into the unsuspecting dog’s bloodstream. This parasite can only be spread through the help of mosquitoes.

Dogs with a mild case of heartworm will cough, lose some of their stamina, and will be weak and possibly short of breath. The worms block the blood supply of fresh oxygen to other tissues, including the lungs, heart, kidneys, and liver. By the time your dog shows signs of heartworm, the damage may be irreparable.

It may take multiple specialized tests to diagnose heartworm, although your veterinarian can run a few simple and easy tests right in the clinic. The first test run is to check a blood sample for antigens. This test detects protein in the blood, shed by adult heartworms. This test will pick up infections early-hopefully even before adult heartworms start to reproduce. It specifically looks for proteins from female worms. If your dog only has one or two worms, there may not be enough antigen to detect.

A second test screens a blood sample for actual microfilaria. Although microfilaria found in a blood sample are almost always from heartworms, they do need to be clearly identified before any treatment is started.

Your veterinarian might also want to take X rays or even an echocardiogram, which is a special ultrasound of the heart. They will do this in order to look for worms or the damage they cause. Enlargement of the heart and the large blood vessels that go to the lungs, also suggest the presence of heartworm infection. A complete blood workup may be done before any treatment is started to see if your dog already has damage to the liver or kidneys.

Of course the best situation is to prevent heartworms from infecting your dog in the first place. There are many preventative medicines which range from daily pills to monthly medications. There is work being done to develop even longer range products. Some of these medications require that your dog test negative for heartworm first because a quick die off of the parasites could cause shock reactions. These products may even be effective against some of the intestinal parasites your dog is susceptible to as well. Some practitioners even use black walnut herbal preparations and homeopathic remedies along with twice yearly blood tests to catch early heartworm infections. There are also some breeds of dogs that are sensitive to ivermectin, a common ingredient in heartworm preventatives, and need to use other medications.

Dogs that are diagnosed with heartworm infection will need treatments to kill both the adults and microfilaria. At this time, the only approved treatment for adult dogs is an organic arsenic compound. This drug must be used with care because you want to kill the heartworms but not your dog. This drug requires intravenous administration and your dog may need to be hospitalized in order to monitor them.

Dogs need to be kept quiet after treatment. Although the adult heartworms are now dead, your dog’s body needs to absorb the remains and keep any pieces from shedding off and causing trouble.

Steve Crofford is a huge dog enthusiast and loves to work with both puppies and dogs. Do you want to learn more about puppies or your adult dog? Go to http://acaninesworld.com You can also get your free 7 day dog health course at http://doghealthcourse.com
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