Heartworm Survival Treatment

Heartworms are harmful parasites that mainly infect dogs. When heartworms infect a dog, they place stress on the dog's body and lead to heartworm disease. Although heartworm disease can be fatal, a number of treatments are available to improve the dog's chances of survival when infected.

  1. How Heartworms Are Transmitted

    • Microfilariae, young heartworms, attack a mosquito's system when the mosquito bites an infected animal. In a time period of just two weeks, the heartworms mature inside the mosquito and become capable of infecting a larger animal. Infected mosquitoes transmit heartworms to dogs when they bite them.

    Heartworm Infestation Cycle

    • Within six months of the heartworm larvae infecting the dog, the larvae mature into full-grown heartworms. Young heartworms travel through the dog's blood stream and reach his lungs in three months of infection. There, they grow to adult worms. Between five and seven months, heartworms mate to produce microfilariae. Microfilariae begin attacking the dog's immune system. The growth of the worms destroys blood vessels and impedes the heart's ability to pump blood to other organs. At this point, the dog is said to have heartworm disease. Without treatment, heartworms can live in a dog's body for as many as seven years.

    Monitor Dog to Protect Against Mosquito Bites

    • Heartworm survival treatment involves monitoring and prevention. Heartworms exist in every climate and every environment. When a dog spends time outdoors, it's best to monitor him, especially during warmer months when mosquitoes are greatest and when his risk of being bitten is higher. When he's bitten by a mosquito, have him tested for heartworms to ensure he's safe.

    Prevention of Heartworms

    • Preventing heartworm infection is easier than treating the disease. Heartworm disease is considered 100 percent preventable. The hardest part is remembering to provide your dog heartworm preventative every month. Numerous, FDA-approved heartworm preventatives are available on the market. Your veterinarian can help recommend one that's best for your dog, based on his age and weight. Your veterinarian may also perform a heartworm test to detect the presence of heartworms in the dog prior to prescribing a preventative. The test should be performed every year to ensure your dog isn't infected.

    Treatment of Heartworms

    • Other heartworm survival treatments for infected dogs aim to kill microfilariae and heartworms without endangering the dog. Some dogs may need to be hospitalized to ensure proper rest as the heartworms die in his body and place stress on his organ's. Additional medication also may be needed to treat inflammation caused by the dying heartworms.