Heartworm Treatment For Dogs

This site sets out to provide you with all the information you need on heartworm treatment, we provide information on how the disease is spread, prevention, symptoms, Immiticide and possible side effects, after care and latest news on the disease and treatment.

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Worms in Dog Feces	The cost of Heartworm Treatment	Chelsea’s Battle Against Heartworm	Immiticide Treatment Side Effects

Has Your Dog Tested Heartworm Positive?

If your dog has tested positive for heart worm and you are facing the prospect of heartworm treatment, this article sets out to explain exactly what is involved for you and your dog.

The most effective treatment for a dog infected with heartworms is to inject an arsenic-based drug called Immiticide. This currently is the only medicine proven effective in killing the adult parasites lodged in the dog’s heart.

Dirofilaria immitis is the parasitic roundworm that causes heart worms in dogs and other animals. The larvae are passed from mosquitoes to dogs.

States with a tropical or humid climate are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Heartworms are prevalent in these states. However, heartworm disease has now spread through all 50 states. Continue reading →

Immiticide Treatment and Side Effects

Immiticide is the only drug which has approval from the FDA for the treatment of heartworm in dogs.

Another name for Immiticide is Melarsomine. This drug should not be confused with the heartworm preventative medicines given to dogs.

It is only effective against adult heartworms, it does not affect the immature larvae which are killed by the preventative medicines and it MUST be administered by a vet.

Although Immiticide is a drug based on the poison, arsenic, it is much, much safer than the previous treatments with arsenic and unlike previous treatments, does not cause toxicosis (which is just another way of saying that it does not cause illness due to poisoning). However, this drug is not approved for any other animal than dogs and is not approved for human use.

If your dog is in need of Immiticide treatment, you may already be aware of the current Immiticide shortage in the United States, to read more, please use the link to visit our article about this.

What are the possible side effects?

Whilst, as stated above, this drug is a great deal safer than its predecessors, it does have some side effects, the most common of which is the blockage of blood vessels caused by dead worms getting carried along in the dog’s bloodstream. A blockage of this type is called a thromboembolus and when more than one is formed, they are called thromboemboli. Because of where the adult heartworms lodge, in the heart and the arteries around it, these thromboemboli are likely to form in the lungs (pulmonary thromboemboli) as dead worms get carried away from the heart – and can prove fatal.

Other side effects are not so serious and include pain and swelling where the injection of the drug has been administered, general malaise including fever and lethargy, loss of appetite and a cough. Continue reading →

Posted in Heartworm Treatment For Dogs | Tagged cost of immiticide, effects of heartworm, heartworm shots, heartworm treatment for dogs stories, immiticide, immiticide cost, immiticide treatment, immiticide treatment cost, immiticide treatments for heartworm, Melarsomine | 81 Comments

Vets Warn Of Increased Heartworm Incidence In 2012

I have been reading a lot of information published online by Vets just recently, highlighting the seriousness of the heartworm situation this year.

An article by Julie Damron, a vet at the Sierra Veterinary Clinic in Stockton, California reported that in a normal year, they probably diagnose six or seven dogs with heartworm disease – this year (and her article was published May 12th), they have already diagnosed five dogs.

Julie goes on to say that in the past, many of the cases diagnosed were dogs that had contracted the disease when travelling outside the state of California, but this year most of her heart worm patients had not.

She attributes the rise in incidence of the disease to changing weather patterns, in particular, rainfall changes which have caused increased numbers of the mosquitoes that carry the disease. (Find link to Julie’s full article at foot of the page)

Animal Parasite Council Predict Increased Heartworm Cases In 2012

This Google Maps image shows the approximate location of the three veterinary clinics mentioned in this article - showing the increased incidence of heartworm is spread right across the country.

Almost three thousand miles away on the opposite side of the country, Central Veterinary Associates at Valley Stream NY, are warning in an open press release published online on 15th May, that the Companion Animal Parasite Council are forecasting higher incidence of heartworm disease Nationwide in 2012 and predicting “high” levels in the North Eastern States including NY State.

Central Veterinary Associates go on to warn pet owners that there are more of the mosquitoes that transmit the disease around this spring after a mild winter.

With temperatures rising they too are predicting higher than normal incidences of pets becoming infected this spring.

Dr Steven Fox, who is President/CEO at Central Veterinary Associates said in the press release:-

“We urge all pet owners to test their pets for heart worm disease and begin a regimen of heartworm preventatives if they have not done so already. The warmer weather provides a great opportunity for your pets to go outside for a walk or to run around, but it also means that they will be exposed to mosquitoes. It will be much easier and healthier for your pet to prevent these infections from occurring than having to treat them.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Heartworm | Tagged heartworm in 2012 | Leave a comment

Dogs Need Love, Attention And Preventative Care

For 2012, the goal of veterinarians and the American Heartworm Association (AHS) is to educate the public on preventative care, especially for heartworms. Each year, thousands of dogs die due to a infection with these parasites. The numbers do not include dogs that are put down because rescue kennels cannot afford to treat the dogs. In addition, the numbers do not include the thousands of stray dogs that die from this disease each year.

Imagine being a vet for a moment. The biggest challenge many animal health practitioners face is convincing a dog owner to use a monthly heartworm treatment to prevent infection. Most pet owners do not believe their dog will become infected.

In addition, millions of pet owners believe that using one of the approved monthly treatments will make their dog sick. Now, imagine as a veterinarian, you must tell a dog owner that his or her beloved pet is infected. Or worse, imagine telling a dog owner their beloved four-legged family member has just died due to an adult worm infection.

In thousands of cases, the owner has no idea why their dog has fallen deathly ill. An emergency visit to the vet’s typically ends with the dog passing away while being examined or the infection is too severe to be treated, in which case the dog must be put down.

If you are not concerned about a heart worm infection, you should be. The disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The AHS has reported cases in ALL states. Just 10 years ago, there were several states that had zero incidences of infections. Today, every state is reporting an increase in infection rates.

Although many European countries do have a low incidence of infection, it is important to mention a frightening trend is beginning to emerge. The rate of infection is beginning to increase in Europe. This increase is directly related to an increase in the mosquito population. Many countries are experiencing warmer and more humid weather. This type of weather allows mosquitoes to flourish. As mosquito populations continue to increase, the greater the risk this devastating infection will spread.

You give your dogs the love and affection they need, protect them from Heartworm too!

The infection rates in the United States could have been greatly reduced had pet owners diligently given the monthly medicines approved for the purpose. Now, preventative medicines can be a matter of life or death.

You only need to visit YouTube and search the term “heartworms”. You will see hundreds of videos created by people who lost their beloved family member to this treacherous infection.

Sadly, many of the pet owners did not know their furry family member was suffering until their pet died from the disease as symptoms may not be apparent until the end stage. Continue reading →

Posted in Heartworm Preventatives | Tagged heartworm preventative treatment, heartworm protection, monthly heartworm treatment | Leave a comment

New Heartworm Treatment Initiatives

To date, there continues to be only one effective and FDA approved treatment for treating dogs with a heartworm infection. The current method requires doses of the drug Immiticide. Unfortunately, there is a severe shortage of this drug at present. As the shortage continues, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) has released a plan for pet owners to follow in the event their beloved dog does not meet the strict requirements for Immiticide treatment.

Due to the shortage, your veterinarian must prove your dog is in dire need of treatment. He or she must submit an application for Immiticide to the manufacturer which is Merial Limited.

In many cases, treatment doses have been denied by Merial. Since there is not enough Immiticide to treat every dog, the doses are limited to the most dangerous and extreme cases. This leaves pet owners feeling helpless. In response the AHS has developed guidelines to keep your pet safe until the shortage is alleviated.

In conjunction with the AHS guidelines, Merial participated in the 2012 North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC). At the conference the company announced its initiatives to increase the number of pet owners that visit the veterinarian by 25 million.

Millions of pet owners do not take their pets to the vet for regular health examinations. This results in millions of dogs that are infected with heart worms. In many cases, by the time a pet owner realizes their dog is sick, the infection has progressed so badly that surgery is the only course of treatment. Surgery is the most expensive treatment at an average cost of $4,065.00. Sadly, many pet owners just cannot afford the cost. In numerous cases, the end result is that the dog must be euthanized.

Merial’s current initiative includes increasing veterinarian visits along with increasing the number of pet owners that provide preventative heartworm treatment for their pets. The rate of heart worm infections are steadily increasing each year; it is now considered an epidemic. A monthly dose of preventive medicine significantly reduces the risk of your pet contracting an infection. This remains the best course of preventative treatment. In light of the current Immiticide shortage, it is imperative that pet owners select a preventative heartworm medicine. Continue reading →

Posted in Heartworm Treatment For Dogs | Tagged AHS, heartworm preventatives, heartworm treatment, immiticide treatment | Leave a comment

Spring is Here and so are Seasonal Dog Allergies

While we humans experience seasonal allergies particularly during the onset of spring, we often forget allergic reactions affect our pets as well and springtime is definitely a bad time for dog allergies!

Many such reactions in dogs manifest as itchy skin. In addition, the skin becomes dry, flaky and develops red welts. In many severe cases, open sores may develop. Seasonal allergies in dogs are a serious concern for many pet owners.

The discomfort from constantly scratching itchy skin is exacerbated if the dog begins to chew and lick the affected areas. The skin can lacerate and bacteria can enter the body through the laceration. In many severe cases, this can result in a serious internal bacterial infection that can result in death if left untreated.

For those who live in humid climates, seasonal allergies are compounded by flea infestations. Many pets are allergic to fleas. This allergic reaction can be severe and debilitating. Many veterinarians recommend a heartworm preventative medicine that also contains medicine that kills fleas. In addition to this treatment, it is also recommended to use pet products such as shampoo that is specifically formulated for skin conditions.

Many dogs will develop “hotspots” on their legs, paws, and tail area. These hotspots are red welts that may become open sores if left untreated. The hotspots are caused when the dog attempts to relieve the itching by nibbling the area with its teeth. In addition, the animal will lick the area excessively creating a comfortable home for bacteria to grow.

If you have a pet that suffers from allergies including seasonal allergies, you may want to buy specially formulated products to keep your dog comfortable and healthy. The following are a few products that will help control skin problems that can cause tremendous discomfort for your pet: Continue reading →

Posted in Dog Health | Tagged allergy shampoo for dogs, dog allergies, seasonal dog allergies | Leave a comment

Heartworm Treatment For Dogs