According to Doctors Foster and Smith's pet education website, the heartworm found in dogs looks a lot like the roundworm. Heartworms live in the right side of a dog's heart and the blood vessels that connect the heart to the lungs. A dog contracts heartworms when bitten by a mosquito containing heartworm larvae. While prevention through vaccination is key to preventing heartworms in a dog, there are some treatments available for dogs who have been infected. Pet owners who suspect their dog may have contracted heartworm can look for a number of early warning symptoms. It should be mentioned that the earliest symptoms of heartworm in dogs will not manifest themselves until months after the dog has become ill.
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Coughing
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According to the Dog Heartworm Guide, a common symptom in a dog that has developed heartworms is coughing. A dog with heart worms will have a dry cough caused by heartworms working their way into the vessels surrounding and within the lungs.
Lack of Energy
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Heartworms tend to damage the heart and lungs first, and this can make a normally active animal become lethargic. The Dog Heartworm Guide states that a dog infected with heartworms will no longer want to run and play, and physical activity may appear to exhaust the animal. Some dogs with heartworms seem to want to sleep all day and will not want to move from one spot.
Distended Stomach
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Doctors Foster and Smith explain on their pet education website that some dogs infected with heartworms will appear to have a swollen or distended stomach. As the heartworms infiltrate the areas around the heart, fluid may accumulate in the abdomen.
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