How Long Does It Take to Kill a Heartworm?

Dogs living all across the temperate and tropical regions of the world are known to suffer from a severe parasitic infestation known as the heartworm disease. In fact, in the recent years, it has been observed that the disease has become fairly common amongst cats, as well. This disease has the potential to generate harsh health repercussions, thereby making knowledge about its treatment essential for pet owners.

  1. Time Taken to Kill Heartworms

    • Once the adulticidal injections are administered to kill the adult heartworms, the process of complete elimination may take a month or more. Adult heartworms are known to take approximately a month to die in the infected mammal. However, the remains of the dead worms could take around four months to be completely eliminated from the dog's body. A heartworm antigen test is recommended as the safest mode of verifying the success of the treatment. If your pet shows positive results in this test even after six months of the administration of the treatment, it is a sign that it requires a second course of the adulticidal injections.

    Cause of Heartworm

    • Parasites called "Dirofilaria immitis" are believed to be the causal agents of this disease in dogs and cats. The mode of transmission of the parasite is the bite of an infected mosquito. The fundamental difference between the infection caused to dogs and cats is that the former is usually seen to be carrying hundreds of heartworms, while cats are infested with fewer numbers of parasites. The disease results in hampering the functioning of the lungs and heart, as the adult heartworms mainly infest the heart and pulmonary arteries and have a lifespan of about five years. The younger version of the parasite, called microfilaria, survives in the blood vessels. Although at this immature stage the parasite cannot cause the disease in the mammal, its presence could lead to several other health complications.

    Treatment Measures

    • The diseased animal is administered specific drugs via injections for two consecutive days, which in turn kills the causal parasite located in the heart and blood vessels. A follow-up treatment is conducted after a month's duration in order to eliminate the presence of microfilariae. The treatment takes about 24 hours in the hospital. The complete elimination of microfilariae is verified by means of a test after seven to 10 days of this follow-up treatment, and the cycle is repeated in case any residual traces are observed in the blood vessels. In extreme circumstances, antibiotics may also be required for treatment purposes. In certain complicated cases, the diseased dog may be prescribed diuretics, medicines such as aspirin and consumption of food low in salts and proteins for a lifetime. However, in most cases, the infection is fully cured via the treatment and the dog is soon hale and hearty.

    Rest - A Must for Complete Cure

    • Rest is mandatory for the diseased animal. While the first week after the administration of the injections is particularly dangerous, as this is the duration within which the heartworms are dying within the body, the decomposition of these worms takes about a month's time. Do not allow your pet to exercise for this time period. Take good care of the animal while it is recuperating.

    When to Visit a Vet

    • Although rare, if your pet shows symptoms such as decreased appetite, breathlessness, extreme cough accompanied by blood, fever and depression, contact the veterinarian. As a general rule, pet owners should make their pets undergo testing for heartworm disease on an annual basis to ensure early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the disease.