subject: Busted - Heartworm Lies [print this page] No way around itNo way around it. If your best friend has heartworm, it can be devastating to the poor thing. Its curable if caught in time. But occasionally the cure truly does a number on the animal. Usually, the mutt will have to get treated with arsenic.
Some folks think they have to put the dog down if it has the infection. Not necessarily true. Something can always be done except in the most extreme cases. Thats why you need to have your canine checked regularly for the bug. And its not just a doggie disease. Cats and other animals can catch the worm, too.
Signs
Well focus on the mutt-side in this post. Heres what to watch-out for. It might tell you that you need to book a visit with the vet:
Trouble breathing
Very dark and bloody urine
Loss of weight
Coughing
Pale gums
Fainting
Doesnt like to move around and hates to exercise
Weird sounds coming from its lungs
Now For the Lies
They just got their shots. Whats the big deal?
Even if their shots are up-to-date, there is no vaccine against heartworms. Its preventable, but theres no magic bullet once the pup is afflicted.
We just got this 8-week old dog a few days ago. Its got a chemical in its little body that keeps it from getting heartworm.
Sounds like that moron politician who used the phrase legitimate rape. Anywho, speaking of puppies, they do not have a natural immunity to the bug. They can catch it from a mosquito or by biting a flea. Age is not a factor.
So, the vet found the dog has heartworm. Modern science should make it easy to get rid of.
Heartworm treatment is not a walk in the park. As mentioned earlier its a harsh procedure. It can be costly and risky. But, hey, this is your buddy. Spring for the fix.
Weve heard that dogs can live for years with heartworm.
Yeah, many miserable years. This vicious disease can be fatal. If it doesnt kill your mutt, it could cause kidney, liver, blood clots in their lungs or heart failure.
We aint got any heartworms in our state.
Some people dont think they have a problem in the region where they live. Probably true if you have a little fixer-upper in Antarctica. Other than that, animals of the entire world are at risk.
When the mosquitoes begin biting, thats when we start passing out the pills.
If youre just giving your animal some heartworm prevention pill in the summer, you need to re-think that decision. Of course, its rare to get stuck by a skeeter in North Dakota in January, but the Humane Society suggests that you slip a pill down the pups gullet all-year round.
Old Blue has been found to have heartworm, so keep the kids away from the dog.
Heartworm is not something your dog can pass along to kids or other pets. That is unless the canine had sex with an infected mosquito.
