Heartworm in dogs

Heartworm can cause great suffering and even death in your dog, and the treatment is as risky as the disease itself, so it is important your dog is protected all year round against this parasite.

Mosquitos are found everywhere!

As Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes, despite what some owners (and some Vets) believe, it can be transmitted anywhere.

However, if you are heading to tropical or warmer clients where there are more mosquitoes, the risk is obviously greater. Even to animals that are kept indoors only.

Symptoms & treatment

Heartworm disease can lead to great suffering, causing weight loss, coughing and even sudden death, so keeping your dog’s Heartworm treatment up to date is the only way to keep them safe and free from the horrible results it can have.

The treatment for it is not only costly and difficult, but the treatment itself can in fact even cause death.

The drug required to kill Heartworm is called ‘adulticide’ and can easily have complications after the worm has been killed. The dog has to be closely monitored because after the worm is dead, it may cause blockages and other serious problems such as breathing difficulties and even an anaphylactic reaction.

Some dogs may even require surgery to remove all of the worms from their heart chambers, so when you consider how easy it is to access Heartworm treatment and the low cost of it, there is no reason to not have your dog’s Heartworm up to date all year round, not just when planning a trip to warmer climates.

Unfortunately, there are still many people who are unaware of how dangerous the Heartworm can be, so please don’t be one of those owners who leaves it to chance.  The same goes for their C5 vaccinations.

Fortunately it is easy to protect your dog against Heartworm with the Nexgard SPECTRA all-in-one monthly beef chew for dogs.

Protect against fleas & ticks too

In addition to Heartworm, there are other dangerous parasites that can cause ill-health, or worse, in our dogs and cats.  Particularly, ticks. Again, the all-in-one monthly chew can prevent against all of these parasites, and more.

There are three types of ticks in Australia: Bush, Brown and Paralysis. The most dangerous parasite for dogs is the Paralysis Tick, which can affect both dogs and cats.

While ticks are mostly found on the eastern seaboard of Australia, the Paralysis tick has been found on dogs in the southern states as well, often picked up when traveling.

If you are heading to known tick areas during tick season, avoid taking your dog into bush or long grass areas, and your dog’s fur should be inspected daily and thoroughly for ticks.

It is important not to leave any part of a tick in your dog, so if you do find or suspect one, play it safe and take them to the nearest vet for safe removal.

Then there are the pesky fleas that are found everywhere!   There is nothing worse than a flea-infested home should you miss your treatments so to learn more about preventing and treating your dog and home after a flea infestation, click HERE.

About the Author: Lara Shannon is a certified dog behaviourist and trainer, pet food nutrition specialist, Executive Producer and Host of Pooches at Play on Channel 10 and editor of Poochesatplay.com. Lara also runs her own dog training business in Melbourne’s Bayside area and is the Author of World of Dogs and Eat, Play, Love Your Dog