Introduction
Heartworm disease treatment for dogs is expensive and involves some risk to the animals. Much of the damage caused by heartworms occurs before there are any outward signs of the disease.
Treating Heartworm Disease in Dogs
An arsenical compound is used to kill adult heartworms in dogs. It is given as an intravenous injection and one or two doses are given each day for two days followed by restriction of physical activity for one to two months. As the worms die they are carried by the bloodstream to the lungs. One dog in twenty may be expected to die as a result of complications from this therapy.
Prevention is the key element in protecting a dog. If a dog is already infected, the adult heartworms and the microfilariae must be eliminated before being put on a program to prevent reinfection. Preventatives include ivermectins: Heartgard®, Heartgard Plus®, Merial, InverhartTM Plus, Virbac; milbemycin oxime: Interceptor®, Sentinel, Novartis; and selamectin: Revolution®, Pfizer. The preventatives will eliminate infective larvae before they reach the heart.
Mosquito control in residential areas where dogs and cats live can break the transmission cycle of heartworm disease. Dog owners should keep their animals out of mosquito infested areas. Living quarters should be mosquito-free. Dogs kept indoor usually show much lower incidence of infection.