How do I know if my dog has heartworms?

As dog owners, we are always keeping a close eye on our dogs' health, hoping that they can always stay happy and lively by our side. However, there is a potential threat that may be quietly endangering our dogs' lives, and that is heartworms. Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal illness, and it is of great importance for every dog lover to know how to determine if their dog has been infected with heartworms.

Heartworms are a type of nematode that parasitize in a dog's heart, the blood vessels of the lungs, and the pulmonary arteries. Mosquitoes are the main vectors for the transmission of heartworms. When a mosquito infected with heartworm larvae bites a dog, the larvae will enter the dog's body and develop in the subcutaneous tissue for a certain period of time. Then, they will enter the bloodstream through the lymphatic system and eventually migrate to the heart and lungs to settle and develop into adult worms. Adult heartworms can survive in a dog's body for several years, continuously reproducing and causing serious damage to the dog's heart and lung functions.

So, how can we tell if our dog may be infected with heartworms? In the early stages of a heartworm infection, a dog may not show obvious symptoms, which is one of the reasons why heartworm disease is so dangerous. Owners often only notice something is wrong when the dog's condition is already quite severe. As the disease progresses, the dog may exhibit some abnormal behaviors. First of all, coughing is one of the more common symptoms. The dog's cough may be intermittent, initially mild but gradually getting worse. This cough is different from the cough caused by a common cold or respiratory tract infection. There may be no obvious phlegm, and it lasts for a long time. Especially after exercise or when the dog is excited, the cough will be more frequent. Just imagine that your dog, which used to be lively and active, is now coughing from time to time. As an owner, you must feel very distressed and worried.

In addition to coughing, a dog's exercise endurance will also decrease significantly. Previously, it may have been enthusiastic about running and playing with you and could run around tirelessly in the park for a long time. But after being infected with heartworms, the dog will become easily tired, panting after a little activity and unwilling to engage in strenuous exercise anymore.

Respiratory problems are also an important sign of heartworm infection. The dog may experience rapid and difficult breathing. Even when resting, the breathing rate will increase significantly, and the abdomen will heave violently. You may see the dog leaning forward, with its elbows outstretched and its neck extended in order to breathe more smoothly. This abnormal posture is the dog's attempt to relieve the difficulty in breathing.

As the condition deteriorates further, the dog may also develop systemic symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, and listlessness. The originally round and cute dog gradually becomes emaciated, and its fur loses its former luster, becoming rough and messy. It is no longer as curious about the things around it as it used to be, always quietly curling up in a corner, with a look of tiredness and helplessness in its eyes. At this time, the dog's body has already suffered serious damage, and heartworms have had a great impact on its heart and lung functions as well as other organs.

However, relying solely on these symptoms is not enough to diagnose whether a dog has been infected with heartworms. Because these symptoms may be similar to those of many other diseases, it is easy to cause misdiagnosis. So, if an owner suspects that their dog has been infected with heartworms, they must take it to a veterinary hospital for a professional examination in a timely manner. Veterinarians usually use a variety of methods for diagnosis. Among them, a blood test is one of the most commonly used and important means. By detecting the heartworm antigen or antibody in the dog's blood, we can determine whether the dog has been infected with heartworms. Antigen detection can directly detect the specific proteins released into the blood by adult female heartworms, and the accuracy rate is relatively high. Antibody detection, on the other hand, is used to detect the antibodies produced by the dog's immune system against heartworms. However, antibody detection may produce false positive results because dogs may also produce antibodies when they come into contact with immature heartworms or other related parasites.

In addition to blood tests, a chest X-ray examination is also helpful for diagnosing heartworm disease. X-ray films can show the shape, size of the dog's heart and lungs, and the changes in the blood vessels. After being infected with heartworms, the dog's heart may show signs of enlargement, and the texture of the pulmonary blood vessels may thicken and become disordered. These abnormal manifestations can provide important diagnostic evidence for veterinarians. Echocardiogram examination is also an effective diagnostic method. It can more clearly observe the internal structure and function of the dog's heart, as well as the activity of heartworms in the heart and blood vessels, which is of great significance for determining the severity of the condition.

When we confirm that our dog has been infected with heartworms, we must not panic. Although heartworm disease is a serious illness, as long as it is detected in a timely manner and effective treatment measures are taken, there is still a great hope of a cure for the dog. Treating heartworm disease usually requires the use of specialized medications to kill adult worms and larvae, and at the same time, symptomatic treatment of the dog's symptoms is also needed, such as relieving coughing and improving breathing. During the treatment process, the dog needs to rest strictly and avoid strenuous exercise because activity may cause dead heartworms to block the blood vessels, leading to more serious consequences.

Prevention is always better than cure. In order to prevent our dogs from suffering from heartworm disease, we should do a good job in prevention. Regularly giving dogs medications to prevent heartworms is one of the most effective preventive methods. There are various types of preventive medications available on the market, including oral medications, topical medications, and injections. Owners can choose the appropriate preventive medication for their dogs according to the dog's age, weight, health condition, and the veterinarian's advice, and give the medication to the dog according to the specified time and dosage. At the same time, we should try to reduce the dog's contact with mosquitoes.