When you are the parent of a pet, you naturally provide you pet with a home. You are also responsible for your pet’s health and well-being.
Below are a few ways to keep your dog happy and healthy:
Dogs are a natural host for heartworms. The dog heartworm is a parasitic roundworm. Heartworms are spread from host to host through mosquito 
bites. Heartworm adults reside in the pulmonary arterial system as well as the heart, which has a major effect on the health of the dog. A heatworm infection can cause serious complications which can lead to death.
Symptoms
A persistent cough, not wanting to exercise, fatigue after a little activity, decreased appetite and weight loss are symptoms of heartworm disease. As the disease progresses the dog may have heart failure and a swollen belly.
Testing
The American Heartworm Society recommends you get your dog tested every 12 months and you give your dog heartworm preventive 12 months of the year.
This disease is very serious and the sooner it is detected the better your dog’s chances for survival. Your veterinarian can administer the test during an annual visit. The test is a blood test and the results are usually available quickly.
Puppies under 7 months can be started on heartworm prevention without being tested. Dogs over 7 months that have not been on a preventive need to be tested and started on a preventive.
Your Dog Has Tested Positive
- If your dog has tested positive, have your veterinarian confirm the diagnosis with another different test. Treatment is very expensive and you want to make sure the diagnosis is correct.
- As soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, you must restrict your dog’s activity. You don’t want any exertion put on the heart.
- Before treatment can begin, your dog’s symptoms need to be stabilized. The cough, fatigue and loss of appetite have be addressed. You don’t want any complications during the treatment.
- Your veterinarian will start a treatment protocol once your dog is stable. The protocol usually involves several steps according to the American Heartworm Society guidelines.
- Six months after the treatment is finished, your veterinarian will perform a test to make sure the treatment was successful.
Heartworm medications come in different forms, pills, topical medications or injections. All approved medications are effective. It is extremely 
important to eliminate heartworm before they reach adulthood. It is also extremely important to that your dog be treated with heartworm preventives every 12 month.
Your Responsibility
Remember as a doggie parent, it’s up to you to make sure your dog lives a happy and healthy life. Periodic veterinary visits area must. Testing annually for heartworm is also a must. Heartworm is a dangerous disease and early detection will result in a faster and better result.
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Thank you for this useful article. I was very lucky and my dog never suffered this kind of condition. However, I heard about this issue but I was not properly informed. I will definitely take more precautions after reading your article. It is not something you want to play with.
Lucky that I found your website.
I’m so happy to help. It is important to have your dog checked.
Oh this is really nice to read about the heartworm in dogs. I must confess that i didn’t know that dogs had anything like this but it is always good to learn all this just in case anything happens. I think i might be needing to get that product looking from the point that there is a promo for that medicine. I might be needing it in the future. Who knows, thank you for explaining the sickness in dogs.
Glad to help. It’s good to have your dog checked to be sure.
Thanks for this nice information, I’ve noticed some of these things in my dog especially coughing and laziness to exercise but I just thought it is something random and it will be off soon, but I think I got it all wrong, I’ll take my dog to a see a veterinary doctor as soon as possible. Thanks for this eye opener, it’s been of great help to me and I’ll make sure I update you as it goes.
Yes please have your dog checked. Happy this post help. Please keep me updated
This is a very informative page. I knew our 4 legged friend needed tested every year, but did not know it comes through Mosquito bites. The signs of Heartworms are so vague I can see why it is imperative to get tested yearly. Treatment is available thank goodness. Although you are saying it is expensive. That is not good for people on a budget. Thank you for your information.
Melissa
I am glad the post helped.
I have six dogs. Four adult dogs and two puppies. If my dog doesn’t have a regular veterinarian test. Do these drugs have any adverse effect on them, without a veterinarian’s test? Thank you for your explanation of the symptoms of dog disease. Previously I did not know why my dog was always inactive as he seemed to be weak and lacking in appetite. Two of my dogs have symptoms swollen belly disease. I need to get this medicine to restore their health as usual.
Heartworm medications do not have any adverse effects but if you don’t have your dog tested you won’t know if he has heartworms. Even though your dogs have swollen bellies it doesn’t mean they have heartworms. It could be something else. I strongly suggest you have your dogs tested.
Taking care of our buddy is something that requires lots of care and close attention. So many instances these pets suffer form various ailments without us knowing about it until its at a very crucial state which need emergency attention. I don’t have any pet which I adopted, but I love to gain knowledge about them and their health issues just in case I finally adopt any. I’ll love to inform my mum about this pills because her pet show some of these symptoms. Nice being here.
Thanks. Tell her she should have her dog tested. It’s necessary