My dog collapsed after heartworm treatment. Was it a side effect?

I'm sorry Aria has heartworms! The fact that she is lethargic and has a decrease in appetite is concerning, and this can be due to the sudden death of a large number of worms from the treatment. When a dog becomes lethargic as well as has a significant decrease in appetite, it's recommended to have them seen by a vet right away. I would take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. She needs to be checked out by a vet to make sure everything is ok. I hope this helps and that she feels better soon!

The injection can be very painful. This could be why she is shivering. If it persists, contact your veterinarian and ask about pain management. If she becomes extremely lethargic or extremely painful, have her rechecked by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

Side effects can be common after heartworm treatment shots. You can see soreness and swelling at the site of the injection, and abscesses can form over time in this spot. Definitely let your vet know of Charlie is very uncomfortable or if his condition appears to be worsening over time. The most severe problems are related to the sudden death of large amounts of heartworms. Get Charlie into a vet right away if you notice a cough or a pre-existing cough becomes worse, he has difficulty breathing, pants excessively, becomes weak or lethargic, collapses, he has a significant drop in exercise, he starts vomiting, drools a lot, or has diarrhea. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hello. It would be very unusual to get a injection site reaction 2 weeks later, & for it to be down from the original injection site. My guess is this might be a benign fatty lump called a lipoma, so just schedule a visit with your veterinarian at your earliest convenience to check this out. If your dog is an older pet, then lipomas can be quite common. Hopefully, that is all it is & she should be just fine ( but I am sorry she was heartworm positive ). Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Injection site reaction is common after these injections as they are given deep in the musculature. If there was any movement or any residue that got outside of the injection, then the reaction seems to be worse. At 5 weeks, it should not be painful anymore, although a firm swelling is likely to still remain. I would contact your vet for a recheck to make sure there is no infection at the site and nothing else causing a problem

Those symptoms can be normal the first day after such an intense treatment with Immiticide and also with Tramadol. The side effects that can be seen with Tramadol are as follows: "Tramadol appears to be well tolerated in dogs. Potentially, it could cause a variety of adverse effects associated with its pharmacologic actions, including: CNS effects (excessive sedation, agitation, anxiety, tremor, dizziness), or GI effects (inappetence, vomiting, constipation to diarrhea)." With that said, I would still opt to get Clementine examined by a vet soon, especially if her gait continues to be affected and if she isn't drinking water and having normal urinations. Her gums should always look pink, and her breathing should be normal (not panting). I hope that your pet Clementine is able to recover well from her rough 1st day of heartworm treatment. Best wishes and take care.

I would take him to the emergency clinic if you can. My main fear is always an allergic reaction which can cause shock and be life-threatening. It may be that Othello just needs some pain medication or a steroid but better safe than sorry.