Heartworms are a prevalent parasite in the United States. This parasite is passed onto a dog by a mosquito bite which injects heartworm larvae into the bloodstream of the dog. Getting treatment before heartworm symptoms in dogs begin to appear is the best course of action in fighting the parasite that can make a dog very ill or kill it.
Many pet owners have their pets treated for heartworms each year during a regular checkup. Being treated before symptoms appear ensures that the pet will not develop heartworms or, if they have been bitten by a mosquito carrying larvae, the larvae will not survive long enough to do any permanent damage.
Adding treatment for heartworm should be included in this yearly check-up. The medicines available to prevent heartworm in a dog are affordable and come in topical creams, pills, or shots that are given yearly. Using these treatments assures that a pet will not be infected by a mosquito bite.
Mosquitoes exist and multiply in any area that has standing water or new construction. There are many cases where mosquitoes will inhabit an area near a pool in a home's yard. It is very hard to protect a pet from playing in a field or yard where there may be standing water and this water can be a breeding ground for infected mosquitoes.
While the cost of pre-treating a pet for heartworms is very affordable, the treatment for a pet that is showing symptoms of heartworms can be expensive and take a long time to be effective. After an infestation a dog may have heartworms for several years before showing visible signs of the infestation. By this time the heartworms have infected most of the organs of the body and have moved into the heart.
When the heartworms begin to clog the heart of a dog it will often begin to have severe coughing spells. In most cases the coughing will lead to a gasping for air and the dog may lose consciousness.
With the infestation in the lungs the ability for a dog to produce oxygen that they need is greatly reduced. This causes many dogs to have shortness of breathe and sound very raspy when they breathe.
Because adequate blood cannot flow to the brain the dog will also often lose consciousness and appear very lethargic. They will act very tired and usually will stop eating when they have reached this stage of the illness. They will not be able to walk for any distance and climbing stairs or jumping will be too difficult for them to accomplish without assistance.
When any of these symptoms appear it is important that the dog be taken to the vet immediately. Once the heartworm symptoms in dogs have developed to this extent the treatment is expensive and involves x-rays, work-ups and injections. In addition the dog must be kept quiet during treatment and for several months after to insure that treatment has been successful.
Author Resource:
Want to find out more about Heartworm Symptoms In Dogs , then visit Jennifer Richard's site on how to choose the best Heartworm Prevention For Dogs for your needs.
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