My adopted dog had heartworms, but looks healthy. Retest needed?

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.

hello and thank you for your question. It is possible but very unlikly that the shelter test was a "false negative". Heartworms can take up to 6 months to mature. It is hte mature worms that breed, have babies, which spread to the bloodstream and cause an immune reponse. It is this immune response (antibodies in the bloodstream) that make a test show up positive. So your dog was already infected but not shoing a positive result yet. There was not really a mistake by the shelter, just timing. Definitely contact the shelter with the results and they may help with treatment costs. I hope your new pup feels better soon! If you have further questions please feel free to contact me for a one on one consultaion. My fees are reduced right now due to COVID-19 and I am happy to help with any concerns!

My oldest dog was adopted with heartworms 13 yeas ago and is still doing well, so it certainly can be treated. I am attaching more information on heartworm disease below from the American Heartworm Society and a handout about treatment. https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=610 Unfortunately, there are a number of variables when it comes to heartworm treatment, so I cannot give you a price estimate, but I would recommend contacting your veterinarian to discuss a price range. Most commonly, we recommend bloodwork, urinalysis and chest x-rays, then decide on which treatment method will be best for them. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Unfortunately, videos cannot load onto the PetCoach platform, so I am unable to see Hershey's current behaviors. However, the only way to diagnose heartworm disease is through blood tests that determine if the antibodies or antigens (depending on the test) of adult heartworms are present. Nearly every vet is able to perform this blood test at the time of an appointment, so I strongly recommend taking Hershey to his vet if heartworm disease is suspected. Dogs with heartworm disease may experience coughing, exercise intolerance, weight loss, among other signs. Heartworm disease is a very serious condition, and is fatal if left untreated. This website has some great information for further reading: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources . I hope that all goes well for Hershey!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If your Vet was only testing for heartworm then that was likely the only thing ran. General blood work usually is a CBC and a chemistry. I think it is best to call your Vet in the am and ask if any other blood work was sent out with the heartworm test. You could also look at your invoice.

Heartworm medication should be given to a dog every month, but if a dog does have heartworm, it will take at least six months for a dog to test positive after being infected. I would have Holly checked for heartworm now so she can be put on a preventative if she is negative for it. I hope this helps!

Yes, if you live in an area with mosquitos. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, not by dog to dog contact. The mosquito injects larva into the blood when they bite the dog and over six months they grow into adult heartworms that live in the heart and surrounding blood vessels. Infected dogs have many worms in their heart and they eventually die of heart failure if not treated. The treatment is expensive and can be hard on the dog. Heartworm prevention is given monthly for life and protects your dog from heartworms and intestinal parasites. There are many different safe products some that include flea prevention also. Please talk with your veterinarian about getting prevention for Sophie soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sophie.