Coronado Pet Hospital provides heartworm prevention in Rio Rancho to help protect dogs from heartworm disease. Our veterinary team can recommend prevention options, discuss testing requirements, and help you create a preventive care plan based on your dog’s health, lifestyle, and risk factors.
Heartworm disease is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and can cause serious damage to a dog’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Because dogs may not show noticeable symptoms during the early stages of infection, consistent prevention and routine testing are important parts of protecting your dog’s health
What is Heartworm Disease in Dogs?
Heartworm disease is caused by Dirofilaria immitis, a parasitic roundworm that is transmitted from infected mosquitoes. When an infected mosquito bites a dog, it can transmit immature heartworms that develop and move through the body over several months. As the heartworms mature, they can live in the heart, lungs, and nearby blood vessels, where they may eventually cause significant health problems. Dogs that do not have access to effective prescription heartworm medication are at a high risk of developing heartworm disease that can be fatal.
How Heartworm Prevention Works
Heartworm prevention helps protect dogs from developing heartworm disease following exposure to infected mosquitoes. Because mosquitoes can be present even around pets that spend much of their time indoors, prevention is an important part of routine veterinary care. Your veterinarian can recommend an appropriate heartworm prevention plan based on your dog’s age and health history.
Heartworm Testing for Dogs
Testing is also important when starting or restarting heartworm prevention. At Coronado Pet Hospital, we can discuss your dog’s prevention history and recommend an appropriate testing and prevention schedule.
6 Common Heartworm Symptoms for Dogs
Heartworm symptoms can vary depending on the severity and progression of the infection. Some dogs may show few or no noticeable symptoms during the early stages, while more advanced disease can cause significant changes in their health. The following are six common signs your dog may have contracted heartworms.
1. Persistent Dry Cough
When a dog contracts heartworm disease, parasites begin multiplying in the dog’s lungs and surrounding veins, resulting in a soft, dry, persistent cough. Dogs with heartworms may even faint from coughing fits after even the lightest form of exercise or activity.
2. Loss of Energy, Interest
Most dogs seem like they are going in perpetual motion when they are awake and active. If a dog seems lethargic and has a decreased interest in normal activities, it could be a symptom of heartworms. Basic physical activities will become too much for them to handle as the condition progresses.
3. Sudden, Unexplained Weight Loss
Even eating can become too taxing for a dog with heartworm to handle, resulting in rapid weight loss. The dog will continue to weaken and be unable to gather the strength to eat at all.
4. Respiratory Problems
Heartworm disease can affect the heart and lungs, potentially leading to breathing difficulties. Fluid build-up will make it difficult for their lungs to oxygenate their blood, making it difficult to breathe freely.
5. Swollen Abdomen
In more advanced cases, they lose weight, and their lungs fill up with fluid from the expansion of the heartworm disease, l causing their chest to bulge out.
6. Collapse
If the condition continues untreated, the dog will experience a blockage of blood flow and ultimately collapse. This advanced state of heartworm symptoms can result in death within just a few days.
Some symptoms can easily be signs of other conditions other than heartworm, making it even more difficult to properly diagnose and treat. Among some other heartworm symptoms that are possible include:
- Blindness
- Excessive sleeping
- Increased blood pressure
- Lameness
- Nosebleeds
- Secondary pneumonia
- Seizures
Contact Coronado Pet Hospital for Heartworm Disease Treatment
Get Heartworm Prevention Today
From general veterinary services to prevention and surgery, our state of the art AAHA- accredited facility has every resource available to offer your family pets the finest comprehensive medical care in Rio Rancho. Call Coronado Pet Hospital right away at (505) 771-3311 for heartworm prevention.
AAHA-Accredited Animal Clinic and Animal Hospital in Rio Rancho
Coronado Pet Hospital is the modern animal clinic and animal hospital Rio Rancho pet owners trust. We provide comprehensive veterinary care, including heartworm prevention for pets in Rio Rancho, general veterinary services, surgery, and dental care. Our group of caring, knowledgeable doctors has over 50 years of combined veterinary experience. Our AAHA-accredited facility has the resources and expertise to support your family pet’s ongoing health with quality medical care in Rio Rancho.
Your Rio Rancho Veterinarian
Coronado Pet Hospital is located at 4192 State Highway 528 NE in Rio Rancho. Our animal hospital is conveniently located near the 528 and 550 State Highways and nearby Whataburger. Call us at (505) 771-3311 to schedule your pet’s appointment with our skilled veterinary team.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Often Should Dogs Be Tested for Heartworms?
Dogs should receive heartworm testing based on their age, as well as veterinary recommendations, prevention history, and individual risk factors. Annual testing of adult dogs helps identify infections early and allows your veterinarian to recommend the appropriate next steps for your dog’s health. Coronado Pet Hospital can also discuss heartworm prevention for dogs in Rio Rancho to help protect your pet from future infections.
2. Can Heartworm Disease Be Prevented in Dogs?
Heartworm disease can often be prevented through veterinarian-recommended prevention plans. Early and consistent blood testing is key. There are several veterinarian-prescribed oral medications which, when given regularly every month in combination with yearly testing, are very effective at preventing heartworm disease. There is also an injectable form of heartworm prevention that our veterinary staff is certified to administer every 6 or 12 months, relieving the pet parent from remembering to give monthly medications. Many pet parents assume the monthly flea and tick preventive they are already giving their dog also protects against heartworms, but many of these products do not provide this protection. Your veterinarian can help select appropriate prevention options based on your dog’s age, health history, and potential exposure risks. Heartworm prevention for dogs is an important part of routine preventive care.
3. What Are the Signs of Heartworm Disease in Dogs?
Signs of heartworm disease may include coughing, reduced energy, breathing problems, weight loss, and other health changes. Some dogs may not show obvious symptoms early, which is why regular testing and prevention are important. Coronado Pet Hospital provides guidance on heartworm prevention for puppies in Rio Rancho and adult dogs based on their individual needs.
4. Can Heartworm Disease Be Treated?
Heartworm disease can be treated, but treatment depends on the severity of infection and your veterinarian’s recommendations. Heartworm treatment for dogs in Rio Rancho will require a series of expensive and painful injections over several months, including a recommended brief hospital stay. Prevention and regular testing are important because untreated heartworm disease can lead to serious health complications and death.
5. Do Indoor Dogs Need Heartworm Prevention?
Indoor dogs may still be exposed to mosquitoes that carry heartworm larvae. Your veterinarian can help determine whether your dog needs prevention based on local risks and your pet’s individual circumstances. The movement of adoptable dogs from states with high infection rates, and the high incidence of infection in wild species like coyotes, mean a much larger population of heartworm-infected mosquitoes in all parts of our state. Coronado Pet Hospital offers heartworm prevention for pets in Rio Rancho based on each pet’s needs.