2. Member,
American Heartworm
Society is a current member of the
Dr. Burns
American Heartworm Society.
Material in this slide presentation reflects
Dr. Burns’ and Holmes Veterinary
Hospital’s philosophy about and
approach to management of heartworm
disease. It may differ somewhat from
the AHS guidelines. It is not intended to
be a substitute for examination and
treatment by your pet’s veterinarian.
3. Don’t panic!
Our veterinarians and staff have many
years of expertise in treating
heartworms successfully
We are current on all the latest
treatment techniques
We approach treatment gradually to
avoid patient (and owner) stress
98% of our treated patients return to
normal, healthy lives
4. Step 1
Identify and treat concurrent problems
Classify the heartworm disease’s
severity
Set up a safe and effective treatment
plan individualized for each patient
Ongoing prevention
Follow up testing
5. Identify and Treat
Other Problems
For example, if your dog has skin
disease, an injury, heavy intestinal worm
infestation, we want to treat and control
those situations before moving on to the
heartworm disease
If your dog is underweight (such as a
malnourished stray or rescue), we want
your dog to gain some weight before
treating for heartworms
6. Staging in the Heartworm
Disease
Blood Chemistry Profile
CBC
Urinalysis
Chest X-Ray
For some, an E.K.G.
7. Heartworm Disease
Classifications
Class I
Mild Disease, no symptoms
Mild Disease, mild symptoms
Class II
Moderate Disease, mild to moderate symptoms
Class III
Severe Disease with mild to severe symptoms
Class IV
Caval Syndrome
8. What are the symptoms?
Many dogs have no symptoms at all!
Coughing
Shortness of breath
Labored breathing
Weight loss
Poor appetite
Lethargy
Getting tired easily with routine exercise
Syncope
Swollen, distended abdomen
Edema of the legs
9. What are the dangers?
Developing right sided or generalized
congestive heart failure
Sudden death
Pulmonary embolism
Blood clot to the lungs
Most often fatal
Caval Syndrome
Most often fatal
10. Couch Potato!
Your dog should become a couch potato
until his or her heartworm infection is
cured
This means not doing things that
increase the heart rate
Running, jumping, playing ball
Climbing steps, stairs, hills
Barking a lot
Breeding/mating
12. Regardless of Treatment
Plan
Alldogs start Heartgard Plus (or
equivalent ivermectin-based
heartworm preventative) at the
time of diagnosis
Prevents the dog from getting
more heartworms, which
worsen the disease
13. Routine Treatment vs Soft
Kill
Routine Treatment “Soft Kill”
=Immiticide Injections Start on Heartgard Plus
Start on Heartgard Plus at time of diagnosis
at time of diagnosis Doxycycline for 6 weeks
Doxycycline for 2 weeks Prednisone for a
before and 4 weeks minimum of 6 weeks
after last Immiticide Exercise restriction until
treatment negative
Prednisone for 2 weeks Antigen test every 6
before and 4 weeks months until negative
after last Immiticide
treatment
14. Routine Treatment
Injections of Immiticide kill the adult
heartworms
The heartworms turn loose and flow
downstream where they lodge in small blood
vessels in the lungs
The worms decompose in the lungs and are
broken down by the body
Sometimes causes cough
Sometimes causes appetite loss, weight
loss, lethargy
Rarely can have pulmonary embolism and
death, usually first 3 weeks after Immiticide
15. Soft Kill
Concedes that your dog is living “okay” with
the heartworms he or she currently has
Preventative with Heartgard Plus
Keeps matters from getting worse
Heartgard Plus and Doxycycline work together
Weaken the adult worms and shortens their life
expectancy
They live 6 mo to 18 mo instead of 2 to 5 years
Prednisone
Reduces inflammation in lungs
Retest for heartworms every 6 months
Most are heartworm negative in 12 months
17. So why do people choose the
Soft Kill?
It’s often easier on the dog, especially
older dogs or dogs with other problems
No three week period with danger of
embolism after Immiticide injections
No post-Immiticide
coughing, lethargy, weight loss
18. Delayed Kill?
Postponing treatment with Immiticide until
cooler weather for stable patients!!!
Asymptomatic pets
Pets with mild or no changes on x-rays
Postponing treatment for other reasons
Since August 4, 2011, Immiticide, the
drug to treat adult heartworms has been
in very short supply and is released by
Meriel on a case by case basis, reserving
it for the more severely affected dogs.
We can currently get Immiticide if
needed, but that has not always been the
case.
19. Can my dog give heartworms to
my other dogs?
No—not directly through playing
together, eating together, bunking together
Other dogs if taking heartworm preventative
are not at risk
Heartworms are transmitted through mosquito
bites
A mosquito bites an infected dog, ingesting
heartworm microfilaria
Microfilaria develops into an infective larva in the
mosquito
If the mosquito bites a dog that is not on heartworm
preventative, it can transmit the larva in its bite
20. Heartworm Preventative
Is recommended once-a-
month, 12 months a year
for dogs in our area
If your other dogs are not
on heartworm
preventative, we need to
test them and get them on
it!!!
21. What about my cat?
Cats are sometimes infected with
heartworms, but it is much less common
than in dogs
Symptoms are more likely to be
Asthma-like (H.A.R.D.=Heartworm
Associated Respiratory Disease)
Sudden death
22. Heartworm Prevention in
Cats
Very easy!
No pre—preventative blood test needed
Advantage-Multi, our once-a-month flea
med, takes care of:
Heartworm prevention
Flea control
Hookworms
Roundworms
Ear mites