Restrict exercise– no running, walks for exercise or rough-housing. Generally speaking, it's ok to walk your dog outside to use the restroom or to sit outside to enjoy the weather, but no walks (short or long) for exercise. Your veterinarian may have alternative recommendations.
DURING TREATMENT
Short, slow leash walks (5-10 minutes) are appropriate for urinating and defecating, 3-4 times a day. Dogs who are allowed to run or play during this time can develop life-threatening problems similar to a massive stroke.
Most dogs can be safely leash-walked during the treatment recovery period and providing appropriate chew toys can help relieve some of that stored up physical energy.
Restrict exercise.
But your dog's normal physical activities must be restricted as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, because physical exertion increases the rate at which the heartworms cause damage in the heart and lungs. The more severe the symptoms, the less activity your dog should have.
Your veterinarian is going to advise you that your heartworm positive dog should not do activities that keep the dog's heart rate elevated. This means your heartworm positive dog should not run, jump, sprint, go for long walks, play chase, fetch, have zoomies, run up and down the stairs, and the like.
Enforced Rest is ESSENTIAL! Positively NO Strenuous Exercise for 8 weeks! The heartworms will die over the next 6 weeks. As they die and are broken down, pieces of them could lodge in other parts of the body's blood vessels, causing unnecessary complications–if your pet's activity is too strenuous.
The American Heartworm Society does state that exercise restriction should begin the same day the diagnosis is confirmed. Usually, my vet instructs me to keep my heartworm positive dog from engaging in any activity that elevates the heart rate until the end of treatment.
Heartworms can also cause nosebleeds, pneumonia, high blood pressure, seizures, blindness, and excessive sleeping.
Dogs with heartworm disease can live high-quality lives as long as they are given appropriate care. After completing treatment and following your veterinarian's recommenda- tions on heartworm disease testing and prevention, the chances of any long-term effects are very low.
Try a game of stationary catch or use a clicker to train him to follow quiet commands while he's in his crate. Keeping your treated dog calm and quiet is one of the most important responsibilities a pet owner has during heartworm treatment.
Signs of heartworm disease may include a mild persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue after moderate activity, decreased appetite, and weight loss. As heartworm disease progresses, pets may develop heart failure and the appearance of a swollen belly due to excess fluid in the abdomen.
Myth: Heartworm disease is contagious for pets.
Truth: You should be concerned if we diagnose one of your pets with heartworm disease, but you do not need to quarantine your infected pet. Heartworms must go through a mosquito to develop into adults, so heartworm-positive pets are safe to be around.
Even if heartworm infection is treated, we all know it does serious, permanent damage to the body. This in-depth look at that damage will renew your commitment to consistent prevention recommendations for your veterinary patients.
Strict rest is imperative for 6-8 weeks. This means that your pet can be leashed walked outside to urinate and defecated, but must come back inside to rest. Do not allow your pet to run, jump, climb stairs, or play rough with other dogs or children.
The adult worms die in a few days and start to decompose. As they break up, they are carried to the lungs where they lodge in the small blood vessels and are eventually reabsorbed by the body.
Some dogs may feel nauseated from their heartworms as well, and may vomit often just because they feel so sick with the disease. Vomiting does not occur in every dog that has heartworms.
Discussion. Hemoptysis (expectoration or coughing up of blood) has been reported as a consequence of severe heartworm infection in dogs,2-6 although it remains a relatively uncommon finding. Even fewer reports exist of dogs coughing up or vomiting up adult heartworms.
If exercise or excitement cause the treated dog's heart rate to rise, pieces of decomposing worms can be forced into the tiny blood vessels of the lungs, causing further complications. The more pronounced the clinical signs of heartworm disease are, the more restricted any activity or excitement need to be.
The medicine in the treatment (Immiticide) can cause a lot of inflammation at the injection site. This can occur no matter how smoothly things go and how little it seems to bother the dog at the time. This can range from being absolutely undetectable to a dog that is crying constantly with pain.
If your pet has received the first injection of the three injection heartworm treatment, then you will need to schedule a follow up appointment in 1 month to administer the final two injections of the heartworm treatment. Your pet will stay overnight at that time.
Heartworm disease, as the name suggests, are worms that infect the heart. In Australia, the prevalence of heartworm disease is highest in subtropical/tropical areas (Darwin up to 100%, Brisbane 34%) and northern temperate areas (Sydney 25%). Dogs are the most important hosts, but cats may also be susceptible.
Heartworm treatment is a process carried out through 4-6 months. During heartworm treatment the patient must stay confined while the heartworms are dying off to prevent embolisms and other health risks.
Test Again.
Six months after your dog completes their treatment, you should retest for heartworms. And then be sure to continue with annual testing and a monthly heartworm preventative.