Heartworm, a worm that can live in a dog’s heart, blood vessels, and lungs, may not appear to be a serious risk to your pet. In the United States, however, it affects about 1 in 100 dogs. S. every year.
According to veterinarian Wendy Mandese, DVM, clinical assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, “they look like spaghetti in the heart and blood vessels.” Pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the arteries supplying blood to your lungs, and heart failure are two conditions that may develop if you have enough worms in your body.
That means that regardless of your dog’s age, breed, or where you live in the country, protecting your dog from this parasite is more crucial than you may have realized. However, there are still many misconceptions about heartworm that could cause otherwise responsible dog owners to disregard this aspect of their pet’s health.
6 Dangers of Skipping Heartworm Prevention for Dogs
Many heartworm preventives are also monthly dewormers for your dog. It is advised that you regularly deworm your dog because some of these worms can be transmitted to humans. Depending on the heartworm preventive medication you and your vet decide is best for your dog, it might also protect against whipworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and roundworms. For instance, the monthly chewable Interceptor® Plus (milbemycin oxime/praziquantel) provides five-worm protection. Your dog will miss out on this additional benefit of treating and controlling intestinal worms if you forego heartworm prevention for your pet.
See important safety information below for Interceptor® Plus.
#4 Test For Heartworm More Often
One time a year, in the spring, most veterinarians advise heartworm testing. However, if you check your dog’s heartworm status more frequently, you’ll catch an infection earlier. Consequently, you can begin treating him earlier.
There are 3 different types of heartworm tests.
Antigen Test The regular test your vet does is an antigen test. Here are the shortcomings of this test.
So your veterinarian might also perform a microfilariae test.
Microfilariae Test This test will determine whether your dog has microfilariae in their system. And official recommendations have changed. Vets used to only perform it when the antigen test was positive or weakly positive in the past.
The AHS now recommends doing the microfilariae test annually. This avoids false negatives on the antigen test. A positive microfilariae test indicates that your dog has mature heartworms. And they’re breeding.
Those two are the tests your vet likely knows about. But there’s a little known, third type of test.
DNA Heartworm Test This is a DNA test using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology. It tests for heartworm DNA in your dog’s blood.
The place to get this test is HealthGene in Canada. The test is the D319 Canine Heartworm (Diofilaria immitis) test on this page. HealthGene confirms that the test identifies heartworms at all stages. That means it shows microfilariae, larvae and adult heartworms.
You’ll need your vet’s help, because HealthGene won’t work with you directly. Your vet can order the test kits here. Then she’ll have to send the sample to HealthGene in Canada.
So … which test should you get? And how often?
Even One Skipped Dose Puts Your Dog at Risk
Monthly heartworm preventives should be given every 30 days. Your dog will be at risk of infection if even one dose is missed or delayed.
Heartworm prevention works by eradicating the worm’s larval stage. Your dog contracts these larvae after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The larvae will develop to the point where the preventative will no longer be able to kill them if you don’t give your dog the medication every 30 days.
The larvae are susceptible to no known treatment until they are adults in about six to seven months if they are not killed during this short window. At that point, they are harming the lungs of your dog.
FAQ
Does my dog really need heartworm medicine?
To determine which preventive is best for your dog, consult with your dog’s veterinarian throughout the year. The American Heartworm Society advocates to “Think 12. “Prevent heartworms in dogs for 12 months and have them tested for heartworms every year.”
How long can a dog go without heartworm pills?
The majority of monthly heartworm medications provide at least 15 days of protection in case a dose is missed. This means that even if you are just a week or two late, your pet is probably still protected during that window of opportunity and is unlikely to contract the infection during that time.
What happens if I forgot to give my dog heartworm medicine?
Give your dog the dose right away if it has been less than two weeks since the missed dose. Contact your veterinarian if it has been more than two weeks since the missed dose. They’ll likely advise you to resume regular dosing the following month and have the dog tested for heartworms in six months.
Why you shouldn’t give your dog heartworm medicine?
Several side effects of popular heartworm treatments for dogs have been documented, including depression or lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, mydriasis, ataxia, staggering, convulsions, and hypersalivation.