There are four infectious diseases that are common among dogs. Knowing about them and what to look for is what you should do to help keep your dog healthy. Four common infections are Heartworm, Giardia, Distemper and Parvo. I am writing a series of articles on these four. But each article will be devoted only to one of the infections, today's topic - Heartworms.
Heartworms
Heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) are long white worms that really grow inside the heart muscle itself. They look like roundworms and can seriously damage your dog’s blood vessels, which can lead not only to heart problems, but also to problems with the lungs. They were first identified in 1856, when they mainly occurred in the coastal cities of the United States. Since then, they have spread to all areas in the United States.
The heartworm is carried by mosquitoes. Just as they carry bird flu to humans, they carry these parasitic heartworms for dogs. They are transferred from the mosquito to the dog through the process of mosquito blood infection from the victim. As the mosquito sucks, it also pushes into the bitten area a kind of sedative sedative effect through saliva, which lubricates and also hides the detection of mosquito feeding. This saliva carries a variety of delicacies, but the most important thing for your dog is the heartworm larvae.
An infected dog with heartworms is bitten by a mosquito. Heartworms released their young larvae into the blood of an infected animal. Then the larvae are absorbed by the blood that feeds the mosquito. Later transfer to another dog through the saliva of a mosquito biting the next dog.
Worms can slowly eat from their victims and can live inside the heart muscle for as long as 5-7 years before they kill their victim. The larvae do not live so long, but they can exist up to 2 years as the larvae, before they find a home in the heart of the victim to become a worm. The time it takes for the larva to settle in the heart, grow to a worm, mate and release more larvae, approximately 6-7 months after the larvae entered their prey.
Dogs are not the only victims; Heartworms can be found in cats, ferrets, squirrels, bears and even sea lions. By the time the dog exhibits almost all the symptoms, worms can be spread several hundred times through the heart, vessels and lungs. These worms can reach 14 inches in length.
Heartworms kill their victims, eventually becoming so large that they block various heart chambers and various large blood vessels. This slowly restricts blood flow to the rest of the body. When the worm dies, their body naturally flows through the large vessels into the next organ, the lung. When they die, their bodies can completely block the blood flow from the lungs. In severe cases of heartworms, they block a large vein, called the vena cava. When this vein is blocked, blood returns to the liver. The liver is then filled with blood, oversized and badly damaged.
Heartworm Symptoms
An infected dog will begin to experience flu symptoms. They have a further decrease in appetite. They begin to lose weight and usually move slowly and constantly get tired. Many times you will notice that everything starts with coughing. In some of the cased abdomen, fluid will accumulate, making the dog look like it has a stomach for sweat.
If your dog starts to show some of these symptoms, feel free to take the dog to the vet. The vet will perform some blood tests and take x-rays. Many blood tests are available, but the best is a serological test. This test really looks for certain antibodies, which are proteins that the body makes to fight worms. However, the test is not evidence of a fool, and there have been many reports that the test falsely identifies the infection. Your veterinarian is no more than likely to challenge one test at a time and knows what to do.
Heartworm Prevention
The best way to prevent heartworms is a three-step process that includes: prophylactic treatment / use, conducting a regular heartworm test through a veterinarian and limiting the effect of an animal on a carrier, a mosquito.
Since all you have to do is bring the animal to your vet for testing and keep the dog from mosquitoes self-evident, we will focus on the prevention section of this article on various medications and applications you can purchase to protect your dog. There are several options on the market and you can purchase them through your veterinarian or other pet supply stores, even online.
The first thing to understand is a preventive procedure. This means that you are trying to prevent infection, which indicates an attack on the larvae. Products do just that, only the larvae attack. If your dog has adult worms, these products will not help. Adults should be killed by special adult drugs. They are usually discussed with you by your veterinarian when discussing treatment if the vet positively identifies that your dog is infected.
Although they are considered prophylactic, it is really after treatment. Most of these products kill the larvae that have accumulated on your dog or other pet in the last 30 days. They will not kill the larvae introduced to your animal two days after treatment with another mosquito bite. That is why most procedures are performed every month.
This article has too many products with too many active ingredients. There are common things and individual things associated with each treatment. Some of them are relevant to the skin, most of them in the form of tablets. Many of them will do more than kill heartworm larvae, for example, they also control Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms and Whipworms. While others also control mites, fleas, mites, other small parasites and even control certain types of scabies.
There is not one product that does it all. You should know your product well, to know how to use it properly, and what it will do and will not do for a dog. If you have problems getting your dog a pill, perhaps a solution is relevant. However, tablets mainly affect all types of worms, but not fleas, ticks and other external parasites. The urgency affects most external parasites, but not other types of worms. They all affect the larvae of heartworm.
It is important to note that if you switch from one type of preventive action to another, you must report it to the veterinarian. In addition, a veterinarian should do an additional Heartworm test when you switch preventive measures.
A completely infected dog may or may not survive. In some cases, if you teach them on time, Heartworm adults can be treated and killed, and you begin treatment for the larvae. In some cases, Heartworms can be surgically removed from the heart and lungs, and if caught in time, follow the treatment for killing adult worms and larvae.
However, there are times when worms win. At that time, you have to decide what to do. Keep the dog in its weakened state until early complete blockage or heart failure, then death. Or take your dog to the vet to be laid. Not a single pleasant experience, and in any case you will most likely be broken with your heart.
I know that this article was a long one, but next to cancer, this is one of the worst diseases of the dog. His physical impact on a dog is a painful heart to look at. And as you watch your beloved pet die, a slow and painful death also affects you, both emotionally and physically. So I thought it was important that you fully understand this thing, called Heartworm. I am sure that you will forgive the length of this article, because this is one of the most informative articles I have written. If you have ever experienced a dog experiencing this, I know that you appreciate my efforts here.
