just found out my dog has heartworms :(

i am moving to waco in 2 weeks and have alot to do to prepare. so i took my little dog spike and 2 cats to the vet to get their rabies vacc and dewormed and the vet asked if my dog was on heartworm prevention. no he isn't. so he recomended we test him because mosquitos have been especially bad this year.
he is positive... the doc had quite a grim look on his face as he told me. showed me the test...
apparently heartworms not only damage the heart and arteries but damage the lungs and kidneys also.
we go back on monday for xrays and possible treatment if it is in the early stages. but the treatment could kill him as well. the only thing that kills heartworms is an arsenic based drug. the dog has to be caged and immobilized so that it doesn't kill him... and the dead heart worms can cause blockage of the arteries, blood clots, embolisms, lung damage and heart failure!!!!
i am so freaked out right now!!!
my dog is tiny, half yorkie and half chihuahua.
he is my best friend and i am so scared that the treatment will kill him. but if i dont treat him the heartworms will kill him. the treatment is $450 and i dont have it but the vet said he would let me pay it out.
i am so sad

 

I am so sorry

 

Make sure your dog don't get to exited or that you don't do anything that would put unneeded stree on his little heart, good luck man, and best wishes to your pooch. :sad:

 

I'm sorry too.Good on you for trying to fix him.I think he'll be fine--I'm sure the vet has done this before.

 

thanks yall. i love my little spike. he is my heart.

 

im so sorry. i would be devastated if that happened to my little guy. thats great of your vet to let you pay it off, many wont do that. i sure hope your dog makes it.
*good vibes*

 

ive seen dogs live 15+ years after having heartworm treatment. how old is your dog btw?

 

I'm very sorry to hear this. But from what you say you sound like a wonderful pet owner who takes good care of your furry family. When they have the right people to take care of them they have a much better chance. I will send you and your Spike good wishes.

 

thanks yall. he is about 7 years old. i have had him for 4 years. i have heard and read horrible things about the treatment and non treatment... i dont know i have an app. with the vet in about an hour and a half. hopefully i will feel better about it when i talk to the vet.

 

just got back from the vet in eldorado! we started him on heartguard to kill the larvae in his blood. then we are going to have him on high powered antibiotics for two months because apparently there is a bacteria that the heartworm cant live without and killing the bacteria off kills the heartworm slowly. once the heartworms are damaged and dying he gets an injection to kill the heartworm completely and needs to have limited excercise to prevent a pulmonary embolism from the dead worm slamming into the lungs.
so we arent out of the woods yet but are taking measures to cure him. he only weighs 5 lbs so the more extreme arsenic based treatment is out of the question for him.

 

I'm glad that you are helping your dog and I have faith that he will be fine.

 

heartguard is not good if the dog has heartworms.. it will kill them all at once and cause blockages. my weimaraner had heartworms when I got him and he was crazy sick. I dont know what to say other than maybe see another vet? and you need to keep him confined in a kennel. only take him out (on a leash) to go outside, then right back in the cage. you do not want their heartrate elevated.

 

edit: I just read your last post more fully and it doesn't make complete sense to me, but it sounds like you know what you are talking about. good luck to you and your dog

 

heartguard doesnt kill adult heartworms just the larvae. the adults live in a symbiotic realtionship with a certain bacteria. they cant live without each other. so kill the bacteria and the adults start to weaken and die slowly making it easier for the immune system to absorb and eliminate them. once they are weak and dying he will have an injection that will kill them off completely. i know he has to be caged and it breaks my heart to do that to him but it is for his own good. and he is spoiled rotton but loves to go for walks on the leash so i think we are going to be fine. but there is always a chance that he could have a heart attack. i love him and will do my best for him.

 

I'm sending you good wishes. Keep us updated on his progress.

 

So i work at an animal hospital and heart worms really are not terrible. they do need to be taken care of, but it's a relativity easy to take care of.

I'm really sorry that you're have to deal with that, but I would expect your puppy will be okay =)

 

I am with Goomy Zombi. Heartworm treatment has changed a lot in the last twenty years, and it's not an automatic death sentence. Many dogs recover now. Keep us updated.

 

Best of luck,sorry your little buddy has to go through all that .

 

How very, very sad...but the most important thing you need to remember is that the love you have for your dog will bring him through any and all tribulations and vice-versa.

I truly hope he will make a full recovery and am sending good thoughts to you both...

 

thanks you guys. he is doing well so far. seems to be anyway. he has about two weeks of antibiotics left and then we go back to the vet. will let you know how he is then