Oct 3 • General discussion
Heartworms are serious
I know everyone has seen those heartworm posters in vet clinics, in every corner of every room, that they skim but don't retain (at least that is my experience). Well, until today I had not fully understood the severity of heartworm disease in dogs; how easy it is for them to get it, and why it is important to prevent it. Today in my animal physiology lab, we talked about a case in which a dog had developed heartworm disease, how to diagnose it, and eventually treat it. In short (it was a long lab), this dog had been exposed to a mosquito that was infected with microfilariae (immature heartworms), and without proper preventative treatment, these heartworms developed into adult worms that resided in the right ventricle of the heart, and the pulmonary arteries. They tend to live in that area because of the low pressure in the right side in comparison to the left, and that is where the blood collects. Heartworm disease was diagnosed in this dog because of abdominal and pulmonary ascites, and eventually confirmed by antigen testing. The product of the heartworms living in the right ventricle was enlargement of this area. There was a buildup of pressure in this area because of the resistance that the worms cause to the blood flow. This pressure buildup causes a backlog of blood in the venous system; the pressure is higher in the right ventricle than it normally is, meaning the blood cannot get to that area through venous return. This means that blood pressure will increase in the capillary bed (where nutrient exchange in the form of fluid happens) causing an increased amount of fluid pushed into the abdominal cavity, directly leading to ascites. Ultimately, this can get treated, but why not prevent it.
This bears the question...
Does your dog get heartworm medication?
Do you think there are ways other than medication to prevent it, and what methods have you found that have worked?
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Heartworms are serious
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