How can I find out if my dog has worms?
At home, after considering whether preventive care was used in the past, the basic observation is the best way to find out if the dog has worms. The owner sometimes sees that his animal has symptoms such as strenuous breathing, fatigue and joint pain, but in many cases pets show no symptoms until it is too late. Veterinarians are the key to providing a formal, final diagnosis when someone suspects the infection of these parasites because they can perform different tests to confirm this. Individuals should reject common misconceptions that their dogs cannot be ill because they are "inside" animals or do not live in an area known for the condition.
understanding of the disease
heart worms, or dirofilaria Immitis are a parasite that mosquitoes carry. Insects pass them on to animals, including dogs, trying to bite into feeding. As soon as this happens, the larvae begin to travel through the body of the host and eventually create a way to the heart, the main blood vessels and lungs. ThereThey grow and if they are not treated, they eventually lead to heart failure and death.
To get a little deeper, passing on these parasites from one animal to another begins when mosquitoes occupy blood already infected microfilaria or baby worms. These molt twice, then they can move through the saliva of mosquitoes into a new host. After the larvae are handed over, they continue to grow and migrate and develop on adults in about six to seven months. Although the only infected mosquito could bite more than one dog, which the owner has, hand over the disease to every animal, dogs cannot hand it over, because microfilariae must initially develop inside insects. For the same reason, it is also very rare for the uninfected mosquito to bit an infected pet, live through the parasites of the kitchen and then bite and pass the disease to the other pet.
previous preventive care
Sometimes the owners canAnd the veterinarian to draw an initial conclusion about whether the dog has worms with heart worms by considering whether it is a veterinary treatment for prevention. Many veterinarians prescribe drugs in the form of monthly pills, but are also available as local creams and injections. If someone has conscientiously applied one of these options since birth, worms infection is statistically unlikely: 98% of the time is effective. However, the failure rate of 2% requires at least the infection of the possibility of infection if the symptoms are in line with the disease.
WARNING SIGNALS OF INFECTION
Often the dog with heart worms initially shows no symptoms, because the newly present larvae it takes months to grow, moving body and evolve in fully reproducing adults. Soon, the animal could be depicted with fatigue during exercise or coughing, easy to wind because the parasites damage arteries, causing inflammation and blockages that eventually lead to fluid accumulation, making breathing more difficult. Sometimes it is possible to hearEt also abnormal sounds coming from the lungs.
As the disease progresses, the immune system seeks to handle the problem, but the standard response of inflammation that helps to carry antibodies in damaged areas, goes overboard, often damages joints and causes problems with the function of liver, eyes and kidneys. The dog at this stage can also lose weight. In some cases, it unexpectedly faints and death usually follows early after, sometimes in just a day.
veterinary examination, testing and confirmation
Experts can usually detect these infections by taking blood samples and standard X -rays. Technicians performing the first option to look for a specific protein that the female worm is removed by reproduction and often pair this investigation using the modified Knotts test, which requires the professional to perform a blood sample and explore it to microfilaria. X -rays can detect most of the heart, artery and lung damage that initially occurs, allowing inEther and owners see how bad the problem is and make some decisions on how to proceed with treatment.
other tests can also confirm that the dog is sick. An animal could pass tests that measure, for example, its organs, or could complete the heart stress test. Combined with blood testing, X -ray and general physical examination, these methods capture many cases of disease and increase the chances of survival.
Treatment
If the tests return positively, the veterinarian usually treats the case of heart worms with melarsomine dihydrochloride, often sold under the name Immiticide®, which give injections. It may have a serious side of Effects, including vomiting and fever. In very serious cases where the dog collapses, he could decide to remove as many worms with jugular surgery. However, the guarantee of success is not possible and often, even if the surgery removes parasites, damage to the body of the animal from the state is usually so serious that it dies. Owners are often willing toTrying everything that is in their power to help their pet, but many cannot afford the added cost of a procedure they know that a veterinarian could help, and sometimes they believe it is better to sleep and save more suffering.
Further considerations
Some owners believe that they can assess the risk of their dog to have heart worms by whether it is "inner" or "outer" pet, but in fact, where they spend most of the time, there is a small difference. Although dogs who live outside have generally more opportunities for infection and, as a result, can be considered a higher risk, almost, almost all dogs go out at some point and are therefore prone to bite an infected mosquito. Even animals that remain inside for a long time may be bitten by mosquitoes who find their way inside.
Another point of view is that as Sheldon Rubin, which served from 2007 to 2010 as president of the US Society Heartworm Society, emphasizes that the problem of widthIt is to areas where it was relatively unusual in the past. Most of this is caused by improving irrigation that creates water areas where mosquitoes can behave in arid climate. Rubin warns owners of thinking that their pets are fine just because their region had previously had a reputation for no problem.