My dog is making a nose sound after heartworm shots. Is it serious?

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!

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/#!

What you are describing sounds like a reverse sneeze. Typically, we are concerned with patients developing respiratory distress associated with heartworm treatment secondary to worm die off and blood clot formation. It does not sound like a that is the case here. Nonetheless, contact your veterinarian and let them know. He may need to be evaluated if the sneezing and gagging continue.

Reverse sneezing isn't particularly linked to vaccinations or to heartworm medication. It is simply irritation of the throat (larynx) due to possible allergies or irritation of the throat from a foreign object. I would recommend monitoring her today to see if the reverse sneezing resolves on its own within 24 hrs. As long as she isn't acting ill, eating, drinking well then its ok to monitor. If the sneezing fits don't seem to be resolving on their own, then its best to contact your vet who will likely recommend a short course of antihistamines to try next. In rare instances, a nasal mite is the underlying cause for unresolved reverse sneezing. I hope that Kona's reverse sneezing fits resolve soon! Best wishes and take care.

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.

I don't typically appreciate a raspy voice with heartworm disease, although it can definitely cause coughing. The definitive treatment for heartworm disease is typically a series of intramuscular injections that are given by a veterinarian, so I'm not sure what oral treatment you were given, unless it was the antibiotic doxycycline which is often used to treat a potential secondary infection, or the anti-inflammatory predisone, which controls the clinical signs (coughing). Neither of these is a definitive treatment, so I'm worried that something got confused in the instructions you were given, and I would strongly recommend calling the vet who made the heartworm diagnosis and having a conversation about what comes next.

These signs are compatible with the heartworm infection which can cause dyspnoea and respiratory signs. I would strongly advice to contact your local veterinarian as these signs might be compatible with respiratory/cardiovascular complications during heartworm treatment.