Animal Care Center & Pet Resort

800 Pulaski Highway

Joppa, MD  21085

Phone 410-676-2525         Fax 410-676-5151

Heartworm Disease

Watch this important message about heartworm disease

And even MORE information here!!!!

Dirofilaria Immitis also known as Heartworm Disease.   This parasite lives in the right side of the dog's heart and the nearby large vessels or pulmonary arteries.

 The female worm produces large numbers of microscopic, immature heartworms that circulate in the blood.  These immature worms called microfilariae are taken up with the blood by a mosquito feeding on an infected dog.  After 10-14 days living in the mosquito the microfilariae can then infect another dog that the mosquito feeds on.  The feeding mosquito tranfers the microfilariae into the skin of another dog.  The infection enters through the wound from the mosquito bite.  The microfilariae then travels to the heart where they will develope into full adult heartworms.  These adult heartworms produce new microfilariae within 3 months!  It takes at least 190 days from the time the dog is bitten by an infected mosquito until the dog becomes a new source of spreading the disease.

  Microfilariae in the blood stream.

How do you know if your pet is infected?

A heartworm test is available in clinic to give you results within 10 minutes.  We draw a few drops of blood from your dog, for cats we have to send out the blood to a lab with results in clinic the next day.

If my pet does have heartworm disease what are the next steps?

1)  Further blood work to see what stage heartworm your pet has.  We look for microfilariae in the blood stream to determine the severity of the infection along with 2)  Chest X-rays to examine the heart. 

3)  Antibiotics

4)  Injections to elimiate the microfilariae in the blood.

5)  Follow up heartworm check along with a physical exam.

Heartworm disease is very serious and complications may arise during treatment.  We will discuss the risks involved with you. 

During treatment is important to give all of the medications as directed unless told to discontinue.  REDUCE activity to a severe restriction of short leash walks ONLY, prevention of barking or excitement, NO rough play and keep in in a kennel when unsupervised.  These restrictions are usually for 8 weeks after treatment.

Failure to treat heartworm disease may result in heart failure and/or serious disease of the liver and kidneys.  Untreated heartworm disease is usually fatal.

How to prevent heartworm disease:

Heartgard is a monthly chewable (also available in tablets) that can be given to your pet as a treat.  We highly recommend keeping your pet on Heartgard year round.

Heartgard information is available from Merial @ http://heartgard.us.merial.com/products/products_chewables.asp

Interceptor is also a heartworm preventative.*

Both of these medications help reduce the risk of infection of certain zoonotic diseases, such as Hookworms!

Have your pet tested yearly for Heartworm Disease!

• You are unable to give medications.
• Your pet refuses to eat.
• Your pet has diarrhea or vomiting, or seems in pain.
• Your pet is coughing frequently or has trouble breathing.
• There is a change in your pet's general health.

*BEWARE of online sales of these medications.  While they prove to be less expensive, they may not even be the same medication!  These products are sold to veterinarians only.  The online pharmacies may not stock these products correctly, causing them to be ineffective.