Routes of heartworm infection in dogs

1. Mosquito bite infection

Canine heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bites. The mosquito bites the dog and then inhales the larvae. After 10 to 48 days, it will enter the infectious stage, and after being bitten by it, it will enter the infectious stage. The dog has been infected with heartworms.

2. Long-haired dogs can also be infected

Some people believe that long-haired dogs are well resistant to mosquito bites, so the likelihood of infection is much lower. That is not true. After all, even if you can't bite the dog's body, other parts of the dog are still exposed, so mosquitoes can still bite these parts to contract filariasis. So don't take it lightly because it is not a long-haired dog.

3. Consequences of heartworm infection

When heartworm larvae enter the dog's body, they will begin to grow into adult worms inside, and will parasitize the right ventricle and pulmonary artery of the heart, causing heart and lung lesions, turning into a human-like heartworm. A time bomb of fear.

How to prevent heartworms in dogs

1. Take anthelmintics regularly

Although canine heartworm is a serious disease for dogs, it is not impossible to prevent. You can usually take your dog for a checkup and ask the doctor for preventive medicine for dogs. In addition to preventing heartworms, In addition to worms, it can also kill parasites in the stomach.

2. Use drops of medicine

Since heartworm disease is spread by mosquito bites, some doctors will drop some drops on the dog's skin, which not only prevents mosquitoes from easily approaching and biting the dog, but also repels fleas and prevents dog hair. Become a flea nest.

3. Injection

In fact, there is also a vaccine to prevent heartworms, but basically we rarely take the injection, because the necessity of injecting the vaccine is not very high, because as long as regular drug prevention is done, we can better prevent it. prevent the disease from occurring.

Treatment plan for dogs infected with heartworm

1. First of all, a comprehensive judgment must be made

Basically, dogs suffering from heartworms need to be diagnosed by a doctor first, such as ultrasound, X-ray, blood biochemical tests, etc., to determine whether they can eat and need treatment. If the liver and kidney function is not good, it may not be recommended to take medicine.

2. Treatment time

Anti-thrombotic drugs are usually given for one to two weeks, then insecticides are used to kill the adult worms, and anti-thrombotic drugs are continued. The treatment time is divided into one month to half a year according to the severity of the disease. During the feeding period, the main thing is to take care of the dog.

3. Prevent the dog from becoming excited during treatment

Dogs will become depressed and lose their appetite when they are infected with heartworms and during the treatment period. In addition to paying more attention, owners should also prevent their dogs from being overly excited and over-exercising, which can cause accelerated heartbeats and lead to a large number of deaths. Adult worms block blood vessels and cause complications.

4. Prevention is more important than treatment

In order to prevent dogs from contracting this disease, it is very important to do preventive measures. You should take your dog for regular health check-ups and take preventive medicines to prevent you from spending more time and energy on treatment when unfortunately infected with the disease.