My chocolate lab might have heartworms. What should I do next?

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. We usually do a test where the antigen to heartworms can be quantified using a very small amount of blood. There are many companies that make these tests & they usually are less than $40 to run. The test only takes 10 minutes & shows either positive or negative. If a dog has a significant number of heartworms, sometimes you can see them directly in a drop of blood under a microscope. If the test comes back positive, depending on the overall health of your pet, we start therapy first with a round of the antibiotic Doxycycline, then we use a form of medical grade arsenic, injected into a muscle, either 2 or 3 times over a short course of time. This will kill any adult heartworm that are in the heart & in the vasculature in the lungs. It sounds pretty intense, but most dogs come through very, very nicely. I hope this helps. Take care.

Heart worms can be detected through a blood test that can be done at a veterinarian’s office. Heart worms are transmitted by mosquitoes...a mosquito harboring a life stage of the heartworm will transmit it to a dog by biting it. It is not passed from dog to dog through casual contact. Heartworm disease is easily prevented, so if your veterinarian can test your dog and he is negative....there are a number of heartworm preventative products available through your veterinarian. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Yes. Testing for heartworms is simple with a blood sample taken by your vet. We do a screening snap test that gives results in 8-10 mins. I hope this helps and thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Take care. : )

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I’m so glad Carson has a new wonderful owner! You 100% need to run the test. A dog can look completely healthy and have a serious heartworm infestation that is slowly damaging the heart and major vessels. There is a very specific way of testing and treating heatworms that can be adjusted based on if there are microfilaria (baby heart worms in the blood stream) or not which is likely what they will be testing. If it is the other common test we run, you should do it because if it comes up negative, you may not need further treatment! In many cases I feel that extra testing may not be needed or may not change how I treat a problem. But heartworm disease is not one of them. Follow the protocol to the letter as best you can for the highest likelihood of success. Best of luck to you and Carson!

A Light positive is still a positive. I would ask your vet to send out test to an outside Lab to confirm the results using a different type of test. You can also have an ultrasound done to see if your dog has any adult worms at this time. Your dog should currently be a heartworm preventative every month like Heartgard. Most heartworm tests are actually looking for antibodies in the bloodstream, so when they come up positive (even light positive, this means that your dog has antibodies or that your dog has been exposed. It may be that your dog doesn't have any adult worms of his/her own at this exact moment, but that he/she has baby heartworms floating around in the bloodstream because he/she is constantly being exposed to them (be it from another dog in the area who is infected and mosquitoes are passing it around or you live in a rural area where there are a lot of coyotes who are infected?? These are very far fetched reasons.. The most likely cause is that your dog is infected but has what we call a "low case load" and is producing a small amount of antibodies and therefore shows a light positive. Further testing will show you how advanced the disease is (like I said, ultrasound, xrays, etc) but regardless, you should treat your dog. One heartworm WILL eventually become two, three four etc. The longer the problem is left untreated, the worse it will become and the more damage they will will do to your dog's heart, lungs and overall health.

Hi. I sure hope Mason doesn't have heartworm disease. In the early stages of heartworm infection, dogs show few symptoms or no symptoms at all. The longer the infection persists, the more likely symptoms will develop. More active dogs, dogs heavily infected with heartworms, or those with other health problems often show pronounced clinical signs. Signs of heartworm disease may include a mild persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue, appetite changes, and weight loss. As heartworm disease progresses, pets may develop heart failure and the appearance of a swollen belly due to excess fluid in the abdomen. Dogs with large numbers of heartworms can develop a sudden blockages of blood flow within the heart leading to a life-threatening form of cardiovascular failure showing labored breathing, pale gums, and dark bloody or coffee grain like material in urine. If you are worried about Mason possibly having Heartworm disease, please schedule an appointment and testing with your veterinarian.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I’m sorry to hear Kona isn’t feeling well. What you describe could be heart disease and there could be fluid build up in his lungs. I recommend taking Kona to a vet right away for an exam so they can listen to his heart and lungs. He may also need xrays of his chest to see what’s going on inside. Other possibilities include infectious diseases like kennel cough or the flu, parasites like heartworms, or cancerous processes. Either way, Kona needs to be seen by a vet to determine what’s wrong and start treatment. Good luck and kisses to Kona!