Tragic! Heartworm diagnosis!

Upon taking my dog Leeloo to California for an eye surgery, we found out she had Heartworm. Leeloo is happy and healthy and showed no signs of illness. Pre-op blood tests revealed Heartworm disease. An antigen blood smear test was then done to confirm and was returned positive. We actually saw the microfilariae (baby worms) in the microscope.

The reason Heartworm is so bad is because the microscopic worms that are transmitted by a mosqito bite migrate to the heart and lungs where they grow into adult worms. Once infected, the earliest that heartworm antigen and microfilariae can be detected is about five and 6.5 months post-infection, respectively. By the time the disease is diagnosed, the dog will already have adult worms in the heart and lungs.

The good news is that the disease is treatable. The bad news is that the treatment itself can kill the dog. The safest treatment is injections of Melarsomine Immiticide (an arsenic) which is given via deep intramuscular injection into the lumbar muscles. The injection itself causes pain. Injections are given as day one, day 30, day 31. Three shots spread out over 31 days. The reason this is done is so that the amount of adult worms die-off is a bit slower, thus giving less chance of embolism. (An embolism is a mass, such as an air bubble, detached blood clot, or foreign body, that travels in the bloodstream, lodges in a blood vessel, and obstructs or occludes it.) In this case, the embolism is a clot of dead worms.

Embolism is the main cause of death in treating for Heartworm. Upon the first injection, the dog must be crated for the duration of the treatment which is from 8 to 12 weeks. The dog can get very sick and possibly need hospitalization. Keeping the dog quiet and calm is the most important part of treatment to avoid embolism. Once the last shot is given the preventative pills are started to kill off the microfilariae.

So, Monday the 4th Leeloo gets her first injection. Please pray for her. I hope my baby lives through treatment.   UPDATE: We are at day 35 of treatment. All is good so far. The last two shots back to back were very difficult for her.

Get your dogs tested now! Then start prevention right away!

The first step is to get all your dogs tested. Average cost is about $45.00 for the test per dog (I have 5 dogs). If tests show negative, then start on preventative meds that day! The dog is given a monthly tablet for prevention. The cost averages about $10-$14 per month per dog depending upon its size. This is very reasonable considering the alternative of which I am now dealing with.

If positive, treatment is expensive, painful, and includes the risk of death. This said, spend the money for the prevention. I wish I would have known and been more aware to say the least. Please spread the word about Heartworm. Don’t let this happen to you!

Leeloo's name...

I named Leeloo after the character from the movie “The Fifth Element”. Leeloo is the Supreme Being! The ultimate being! The warrior, the lover!