|
|
Dog Heartworm Symptoms Include
Difficulty Breathing And Fatigue
The key to treating any dog with heartworms is to catch the
infestation early. You can do this by making sure that you are very
aware of any health problems that your dog may have. It is also
important to realize that heartworms are often very difficult to
diagnose unless you are able to give veterinary blood tests to check
for the young heartworms. By the time your dog is experiencing
obvious dog heartworm symptoms, it may already be too late for
treatment.
If your dog tires very early, is short of breath, or has a
persistent cough, then these may be signs of heartworms. If you
notice any of these problems and you live in an area where
heartworms are common, you should bring your dog to the vet
immediately. These symptoms may also be signs of health problems
that are less severe than a heartworm infection, but this is one
case where it is much better to be safe than sorry.
Heartworms generally affect the circulatory system of your dog and
may also enter into your dog's lungs. Larger adult worms will
partially cut off your dog's blood vessels and may block portions of
the lungs. This is what causes your dog's shortness of breath.
If heartworm is not treated immediately, the symptoms will worsen.
Luckily, it takes months for the heartworms to become adults and
then grow to full size. This means that you will have time to notice
if your dog's slight cough does not go away.
Untreated heartworm symptoms will continue with a strong cough and
rapid fatigue. You will notice that your dog is no longer able to
keep up with you. Many dog owners wrongfully assume that these
symptoms are signs of old age, but that is not always the case.
If the dog heartworm symptoms advance beyond this point, it is
likely that any treatment will not be successful. In any case, more
extreme heartworm symptoms can include jaundice and liver failure.
Dogs that are very ill from a heartworm infestation will often stop
eating and will show little desire to do anything. Heartworms may
also lead to seizures, collapse, and eventually death.
Since heartworms are so difficult to diagnose, you should make sure
that your dog is being regularly dosed with heartworm prevention
medication. You can get a prescription for once-a-month heartworm
medication from your veterinarian.
|
