Heartworm treatment: dog drooling, weak, not drinking. Is this normal?

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!

This treatment could cause lethargy, it's quite common and this is one of the reason restriction is a must. if she becomes too lethargic you might need to take her to the ER, especially if you notice abnormal breathing.

Diarrhea can be normal after Immiticide injections, especially if he is also currently on steroids (often used concurrently to reduce inflammation and chances of embolisms). You should worry if you see signs of coughing, extreme lethargy, pale gums, not eating, or any random bleeding episodes. Other than that a little loose stool is not very concerning for a severe reaction. You can try a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese tonight to help settle the stomach. If the diarrhea continues past 12-24 hrs then antibiotics +/- probiotics may be prescribed by your vet to help get the intestinal flora back to normal status.

This can be normal after the first round of heart worm treatment. As the adult heartworms die, they cause an inflammatory reaction in the lungs. It is VITAL to keep Charlie under strict confinement during this time. This means he needs to stay in a confined area or crate and then only to be taken outside on a least to go to the bathroom a few days per day. If they are too active the cough will only get worse. You can try to give him some Benadryl twice a day to help with the sniffles/sneezes. See link below. I would also contact your vet just to tell them what is going on to make sure they don't want to add any meds or change any meds for him. Of course, if he stops eating, the cough gets worse, you notice labored breathing, or he is coughing up blood then I would have your vet take a look at him immediately. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/#!

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!

Any change in breathing warrants a trip to the vet for a recheck. While it’s possible that there’s nothing wrong, you could also be noticing the beginning of a complication of heartworm treatment. Pulmonary thromboembolism can occur when dying worms become lodged in the small blood vessels of the lungs. Your vet might want to take a chest x-ray.

Given that it was at least a week after the injection, I would not suspect it was the cause of her symptoms. If she was to experience a reaction to the injection, it would normally occur much sooner after the injection was normally given. Bees are very toxic to dogs, and it is possible that Ivy was stung by one even if you didn't happen to see it. You did absolutely the right thing by rushing her into the ER vet, and I'm so glad that she recovered quickly . I hope she also recovers fully from heartworm :-)