Can Dogs Fully Recover From Heartworm? Vet-Approved Prevention & Treatment

Heartworm is a disease that a dog contracts from parasitic roundworms that reside within the heart and pulmonary arteries. Symptoms of the disease range from mild to severe, and many different factors play into how affected a dog is and how sick they get. The good news is that heartworm is curable in all but the worst cases. The best news is that heartworm disease is preventable.

Let’s take a closer look at what heartworm disease is, how to prevent it, and how it is treated if a dog has it.

What Is Heartworm?

Heartworms are parasitic roundworms that can affect both dogs and cats. Scientifically referred to as Dirofilaria immitis, these worms are contracted from mosquitoes who bite them, taking a blood meal and leaving behind larvae of the worms in the process. Not all mosquitoes are infected with heartworms, and not all geographic areas have heartworm-infected mosquitoes.

Dogs offer a host body for heartworm parasites to complete their life cycle. Once mature, these tiny parasites work their way into the heart, lungs, and other blood vessels. At full maturity, worms can measure up to 1 foot long, and it’s possible for a single dog to be infected with hundreds of worms.

Without treatment, dogs can have serious health complications, including death, so it’s extremely important to prevent this disease from occurring. If your dog has already contracted heartworms, expedited treatment from a veterinarian is critical for a positive outcome.

If you’re concerned about your pet’s well-being, we recommend consulting a veterinarian.

Symptoms of Heartworm

Not all dogs have noticeable symptoms of heartworm. Blood tests conducted by your veterinarian are necessary for a definitive diagnosis, but here are a few warning signs that your dog may be infected:

Treatment of Heartworm

Treatment protocols for heartworm are determined according to the disease's severity, but three common steps are involved.

Treatment for heartworm takes a long time and happens over the course of months. Injections of medication must be given at specific intervals, and exercise restrictions may remain in place for several months. For this reason, it is much better to prevent heartworm disease in the first place.

Heartworm Prevention

Whether your dog needs seasonal or year-round prevention from heartworms will depend on where you live. There are several FDA-approved heartworm prevention medications that can be obtained with a prescription from your veterinarian. Some are topical, others are oral, and most are monthly doses. Many heartworm preventatives also offer protection against other intestinal parasites, along with fleas, ticks, and mites.

The recommendations from the American Heartworm Association for disease prevention are as follows:

Conclusion

Heartworms can cause serious complications for dogs, which is why it is best to prevent infections from occurring. In most cases, dogs can be cured of heartworm, and their long-term prognosis is good. In severe infections, though, heartworms can be fatal. If you are concerned about heartworm infection in your dog or have questions about disease prevention, talk to your vet about the best course of action.

See also:

• Can Dogs Overdose on Heartgard? Facts & FAQ (Vet Answer)

• Heartworms in Dogs: Signs, Causes & Treatments (Vet Answer)

Featured Image Credit: Lindsay Helms, Shutterstock