In addition to reviewing the following Ask a Vet Online Questions and Answers, also see
our Dog Heartworm Symptoms and Natural Heartworm Treatment for Dogs pages.
Unfortunately,
dog heartworm symptoms often don't show up until about a year after the pet has been infected.
Not exact matches
Your
dog or cat may not show
symptoms of
heartworm disease until six months after initial infection.
Carried by mosquitoes, feline
heartworm disease has been in the literature for decades, but since veterinarians were looking for «
dog - like»
symptoms in cats, the severity of the feline version of the disease was only recognized recently.
Similar
symptoms can be cause by
heartworm, so if your
dog isn't on a preventative, a vet will test for this as part of the initial examination.
If you notice
symptoms in your (older) puppy or
dog which you think might be a sign of a
heartworm problem it's absolutely vital to get him a veterinary exam right away.
Because the
symptoms can be difficult to detect it is important that you take your
dog into your vet for
heartworm detection regularly and take the preventative treatment that they recommend.
While a
dog may not display
symptoms of advanced
heartworm disease, it is common for a
dog to cough, have shortness of breath, faint following exercise, easily tire and lose weight and appetite.
Because the
symptoms can be difficult to detect it is crucial that you take your
dog into your vet for
heartworm detection regularly.
Symptoms: Dogs with heartworms can have no symptoms, but may also have a cough, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing and avoid e
Symptoms:
Dogs with
heartworms can have no
symptoms, but may also have a cough, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing and avoid e
symptoms, but may also have a cough, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing and avoid exertion.
Diagnosis A diagnosis of
heartworm disease is dependent upon having an accurate history of the
dog's whereabouts and lifestyle, and her
symptoms.
So what
symptoms should I look for to tell if my
dog has gotten
heartworms?
Question: My
dog is about 14 years old and has all
symptoms of
Heartworm disease except fainting.
Dogs generally tolerate one live
heartworm per pound of body weight without
symptoms, but dead worms are about 10 times as dangerous.
Heartworms, on the other hand, are harder to diagnose and an infected
dog will often show only subtle
symptoms until the disease has progressed to a more advanced stage.
The fact is; most
dogs infected with
heartworms have absolutely no
symptoms for several years until they develop heart and lung damage from the
heartworm infestation.
Unfortunately, with the lack of early
symptoms, by the time
dogs are diagnosed with
heartworm disease, it is usually well - developed and will require two to three injections of an arsenic - based product (called Immiticide) to kill the adult worms in the blood vessels of the heart.
In my opinion, it would be wise for any
dog that has
symptoms compatible with
heartworm disease and a negative Snap / Witness test and any
dog that has an in - office positive test and no
symptoms or indications of
heartworm disease to have a blood sample sent off to a sophisticated central veterinary laboratory for confirmation before contemplating the best treatment plan.
Just like any other disease,
heartworm disease has signs and
symptoms that you need to look out for, especially if your
dog is not on
heartworm preventative medication.
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However, a
dog with a
heartworm infection may have no visible
symptoms.
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Heartworms can live inside a
dog for years without showing
symptoms.
It can take up to six months or longer for the
symptoms of
heartworm disease to manifest in your
dog, so it's advisable to administer Trifexis monthly — even in winter or other times you don't see mosquitoes.
Generally, the
symptoms of a
heartworm infestation in a cat will manifest differently than would be the case with a
dog, and the nebulous nature of this difference makes a diagnosis in cats particularly difficult.
A cat or
dog with recent or mild
heartworm infections may show no signs of illness; however, once the adult worms have developed in the heart common
symptoms can include fatigue, chronic coughing, vomiting, and weight loss.
Differences in microbiomes help explain why some
dogs exposed to diseases like parvovirus, distemper, leptospirosis, Lyme disease, canine flu,
heartworm, or kennel cough get sick while others remain
symptom - free.
Dogs in the early stages of
heartworm infection may show no
symptoms, but eventually they can exhibit signs such as tiring easily, loss of weight, breathing problems, and eventually liver disease and heart failure.
In short, your
dog which looked healthy may be having early
symptoms of
heartworm infection.
Dogs infected with
heartworms may harbor the parasite for many months or years before
symptoms become debilitating.
Since the
symptoms of
heartworm disease vary among
dogs, it would be best that a veterinarian check your
dog to evaluate a final analysis.
Heartworm symptoms in your
dog include tiredness, decreased appetite, weight loss and heart failure.
In a nutshell, you don't want to wait until your
dog has
heartworm symptoms.
Early signs of
heartworm disease in
dogs It would be great news for pets and people if
heartworm symptoms were always obvious, but the truth is they are generally invisible or unnoticeable.
Dogs that have not had any treatments to prevent
heartworm are checked for
symptoms such as respiratory problems such as coughing (particularly during exercise), muscle weakness or lethargy, weight loss, shortness of breath or labored breathing, loss of appetite and vision problems.
Stage 4:
Dogs in stage four of
heartworm disease have very visible
heartworm disease
symptoms.
Stage 3: By stage three of
heartworms in
dogs, the
symptoms of the disease will be very noticeable and have a big impact on your
dog's health.
Keep an eye out for any changes in behavior that align with the
symptoms of
heartworm and if you do find that your
dog is displaying
symptoms that could be indicative of
heartworm, it is important to make a veterinary appointment right away.
Heartworm symptoms in
dogs are divided into four stages.
Stage 2: Stage two of
heartworms in
dogs is accompanied by moderate
symptoms including intolerance for exercise and a more lingering cough.
Stage 1: In
dogs, the first stage of
heartworm will typically be
symptom free.
Treatment for
heartworm infestation is dangerous and since most cases are not caught until
dogs exhibit
symptoms due to organ damage, treatment can often be fatal.
Cats will typically show different
symptoms of
heartworm infestation from
dogs.
- Acute Bacterial & Fungal Infections -
Heartworm Prevention - Vomiting - a Common
Symptom of Many Possible Problems - Diarrhea - a Common
Symptom of Many Possible Problems - Vomiting & Diarrhea Diet Therapy - Urinary Tract Problems - Fecal Examinations - Common Intestinal Parasites of
Dogs
One of the many problems about
heartworm is that infected
dogs may not show
symptoms until the adult worms fill the heart and clog blood vessels.
Heartworm symptoms do not show up until the disease has progressed significantly, so it is important to have your
dog checked regularly.
The most notable
symptom of
heartworm in
dogs is coughing.
Heartworms The
symptoms of a
heartworm infection are quite different in cats than they are in
dogs.
Symptoms of
dog heartworm includes moderate to severe coughing, particularly after exercise or when excited.
Low risk or class 1 and 2
dog heartworm cases are characterized by having no
symptoms and normal heart x-rays.