Dogs with heartworms often show a mild, persistent cough, lethargy, exercise intolerance, weight loss, and a decreased appetite; as the disease progresses, they can develop a swollen belly (ascites), difficulty breathing, fainting, and even collapse, especially with heavy infections or advanced heart failure, requiring immediate vet care. Early stages might have few or no symptoms, making prevention vital.
A veterinarian uses blood tests to check a dog for heartworms. An antigen test detects specific heartworm proteins, called antigens, which are released by adult female heartworms into the dog's bloodstream. In most cases, antigen tests can accurately detect infections with one or more adult female heartworms.
In dogs, heartworm disease has four stages:
Dog with Heartworm Disease and Loss of Appetite Heartworm disease can cause lethargy and decreased appetite in dogs. Heartworm infection leads to symptoms like loss of appetite, fatigue, and coughing. Treatment includes medications such as ivermectin and doxycycline to kill worms and associated bacteria.
The cough associated with heartworm disease in dogs is often likened to the sound of a goose honking. If your dog tends to get into coughing fits after activity or eating, and if those coughs sound harsh and honk-like, then she may have heartworm disease or another heart related concern.
Early Symptoms of Lungworm in Dogs
Dry and Hacking: A lungworm cough may be dry and hacking in nature, resembling a repetitive, non-productive cough. The cough may sound harsh or raspy and may be more pronounced during certain activities, such as exercise or excitement.
How long can a dog live with heartworms? Dogs are able to live for years with this parasite, however, their condition will continuously worsen. It's a dangerous disease overall, which is why some people have even described untreated heartworms as the “slow kill.”
Swollen Belly
This is because the presence of heartworms can result in fluid accumulation in the belly by obstructing blood flow in the arteries that supply the liver and other organs. The dog may appear to have a rounded or bloated stomach, and it may also be uncomfortable or in pain.
Myth #3: If my pet has heartworms, I will see them in her feces. Although many worm types, such as roundworms and tiny hookworms, are shed in your pet's feces, heartworms do not live in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and are not found in feces.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that herbs such as garlic, black walnut and wormwood, and the homeopathic heartworm nosode, may actually prevent as well as treat infection. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to find substantive proof that these therapies can reliably and safely prevent or treat infection or disease.
Heartworms can also cause nosebleeds, pneumonia, high blood pressure, seizures, blindness, and excessive sleeping. When heartworms reach places other than the heart and lungs, like the brain and eyes, dogs will experience seizures and blindness.
The most obvious sign of heartworms in dogs is the noticeable and persisting cough that goes along with this disease. It is a dry cough, but it comes frequently and is usually brought on by activity.
Once inside a new host, it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to develop into sexually mature adult heartworms.
Abaxis Heartworm Test Kit easily detects the heartworm antigen in your pet's serum, plasma or whole blood. This rapid, at home heartworm test for dogs and cats is highly sensitive and provides fast and easy-to-read results in just 10 minutes.
Coughing or Asthma-like Attacks: Respiratory issues are a common sign of heartworm disease in cats, often mistaken for feline asthma.
5 Signs Your Dog May Have Heartworm Disease
Summer is the peak season for heartworm. If you don't treat your dog or cat for heartworm every month as recommended, please at least do so this month and next month. The Western Tree Hole Mosquito is an incredibly common pest mosquito and the most important carrier of heartworm.
Stage 4: Severe Disease and Life-Threatening Complications
The most serious stage of heartworm disease can be life-threatening. In severe cases, worms can block blood flow, leading to a sudden emergency known as caval syndrome. Immediate surgical intervention is often required to save the pet's life.
Heartworm disease is usually diagnosed with a simple blood test. There are two main tests for detecting heartworm infection; one test detects adult worms and the other detects microfilariae. The American Heartworm Society recommends yearly testing for all dogs over 7 months using both the antigen and microfilaria test.
Adult heartworms have been known to survive inside a dog's heart for 7 years before they die on their own. Your dog does not spit them up, poop them out, or dissolve them on his own. The adult worms will live a long, productive life inside your dog's heart wreaking havoc on his heart and lungs.
Not every cough is an emergency, but some signs demand urgent care. If your dog has trouble breathing, coughs up blood, or seems lethargic and weak, do not wait. These symptoms may indicate a serious condition that needs medical treatment as soon as possible.
What are the symptoms of lungworm in dogs?
Treatment for lungworm
Ivermectin and moxidectin are the most effective treatments for lungworm.