Heartworm disease can usually be treated successfully.  Problems occur if the dog has severe complications due to the heartworms, such as heart failure, liver failure or kidney damage.  Treatment consists of injections of an arsenic drug.  Before treatment, blood tests are taken to insure that your dog’s liver and kidneys are functioning normally.  The arsenic drug is potentially toxic to the kidneys and liver.  Therefore, your dog will be monitored closely during treatment.  Your pet’s health is of the utmost importance in our minds.  That is why we hospitalize for so long during the initial time period of treatment.

1 Phase Heartworm Adulticide Treatment

     This was the original treatment program for the new drug Immiticide.  This program includes 1 weeks hospitalization (starting on a Monday), blood work, and the 2 injections of Immiticide.  This is still the protocol recommended by the manufacturers but in our experience there is more risk involved.

2 Phase Heartworm Adulticide Treatment

     This protocol involves a pretreatment dosing of Immiticide 1 month before the full treatment regimen.  This kills half of the heartworms at the beginning, giving the body an easier time dealing with the dying heartworms.  This is the part of the treatment that can be dangerous.  With this pretreatment you are taking the safer approach to treatment of heartworms.

                Part A  Pretreatment

This protocol includes blood work, 5 days hospitalization, and a single injection of Immiticide.

                Part B Full Treatment  (1 month later)

     This involves 1 week’s hospitalization, and the 2 injections of Immiticide

     If the heartworm treatment is uncomplicated, your dog will go home in one week.  The heartworms die slowly over a two to four week period.  As the heartworms die, they travel out of the heart through the pulmonary artery and go to the lungs.  In the lungs the worms are digested by the body's defense system over a period of several weeks.  During this time, especially the first two weeks, there can be complications from the worms clogging up arteries and causing allergic reactions in the lungs.  If the worms block a major artery it is usually fatal.  However this is uncommon.  A more common complication is blockage and allergic reactions from dead worms in small arteries.  This can cause your dog to cough, stop eating, breathe hard, and have a fever.  This can usually be treated effectively, but some cases can have a prolonged course with damage to the lungs.

     Strict rest for four weeks after your dog returns home will help prevent these complications.  Rest helps insure that the worms leave the heart slowly, a few at a time.  Indoor rest and walking your dog on a leash when outside is recommended.   If you see any of the following symptoms bring your dog in as soon as possible: 1) not eating 2) coughing 3) breathing hard 4) tiredness or weakness 5) vomiting or coughing up blood.     Most dogs lose some weight during heartworm treatment from the stress of the treatment.  Some dogs develop a slight cough, which is easily treated.

Two weeks after the last treatment your dog should return for the Difil test.  This is a blood test to see if your dog has baby heartworms in the blood.  There is no charge for this test. It is part of the total charges associated with the adulticide treatment.  When this testis negative, meaning there are no baby heartworms, you can start the heartworm preventative and keep your dog on it every month for the rest of his life.  If this test is positive a microfilarial treatment will need to be done to kill the baby heartworms.  Another Difil test will need to be done in 2 weeks, which should be negative.  At that time we will get you started on heartworm prevention again.