Heartworm Treatment For Dogs What To Expect

What to expect at the vet s office.

Heartworm treatment for dogs what to expect. The female worms produce large numbers of immature heartworms which circulate in the blood. This hospital stay allows the veterinarian time to prepare your pet before treatment and to observe your dog for complications after heartworm therapy. Your dog will first need to receive an antibiotic. Before actual heartworm treatment can begin your dog s condition may need to be stabilized with appropriate therapy.

Example heartworm treatment timeline what to expect. What to expect during heartworm treatment recovery. This is why it is so important to keep your dog on continuous heartworm prevention. Goals of heartworm treatment.

The most important thing you can do during the treatment is to restrict your dog s physical activity to a bare minimum of short leash walks for bodily functions urinat ing defecating only. The microfilaria baby heartworms are ingested by. Below is an example treatment timeline that works for most heartworm positive dogs but depending on the severity of the heartworm disease your vet will need to decide the best route which may include surgery. When making a diagnosis and administering treatment veterinarians consider the dog s overall health and the severity of his symptoms as well as the results of x rays and laboratory test results.

The heartworm lives primarily in the right side of the heart and in the nearby large blood vessels. Bottom line always consult your vet but let s walk through a typical. In severe cases of heartworm disease or when a dog has another serious condition the process can take several months. It is essential that he is kept confined with limited activity levels for four weeks.

Several cases are diagnosed each week. You can expect your dog to spend at least one night in the veterinary hospital perhaps longer if he experiences. There is only one drug approved by the food and drug. Older dogs with long term heartworm infections may have damage to their lungs hearts livers and kidneys that can complicate heartworm treatment.

After treatment excessive activity and exercise can increase the risk of movement of the dead heartworms through the body clogging the arteries and creating serious. If your dog has been diagnosed with heartworm disease via a heartworm antigen test the most common. Caring for a dog after heartworm treatment can be more difficult than you might expect. If your dog does contract heartworm disease the following outlines the process and treatments they will have to undergo.

Pet owners and veterinarians should have a clear understanding of the goals of heartworm treatment. Stabilize your dog s disease. While many dog owners administer heartworm prevention on a regular basis too many dogs do not receive these treatments and eventually develop the disease. With minor variations treatment of heartworm disease typically takes 2 5 months to complete.

The treatment for heartworm disease takes at least 60 days to complete and consists of a series of drug injections that kills the worms.