Heartworm Advice/Input

[tzolkin]

We are in the process of adopting a dog with heartworm. (Brought her home last night to foster/trial adopt.)

I have been researching online and have an appointment with my vet on Monday for him to evaluate her and give us some advice, but I thought I may as well ask if anyone here has any experience.

I'm specifically interested in the long-term effects. I can find a ton of information about the treatment options, process, and side effects, but not so much about after that.

I know things will differ depending on the dog, severity, etc. I'm just wondering if there's anything I haven't thought about yet that would factor into our decision.

My biggest consideration at this point is whether she may be severely limited for the rest of her life. We are not looking for a high-energy/super playful dog, but I do walk at least 5 miles per day (usually split into two 2-3 mile outings, not all at once) and we like to go to parks and for non-strenuous (also in about the 2 mile range) hikes as a family. She really seems like the perfect personality fit for our family, but it would be a shame if she had to be left home every time we wanted to spend time outside. **I understand exercise is limited during treatment and can accommodate that, I'm talking about long-term**

 

[PlutoPony]

We adopted a heartworm positive dog last June from lab rescue. He had a pretty significant case of it, plus pneumonia in the lungs the month before (he was with a Foster for a while before we adopted him) and caught kennel cough just before starting HW treatment. In other words his lungs were a bit of a mess - BUT he was still active and didn't act particularly sick from it. He got through the HW treatment well. We did it in 2 phases of 1 month each, so he had to be kept quiet for a total of 60 days (sometimes they use only 1 treatment and 1 month of quiet but because his lungs weren't in good shape, they wanted to use the 2 treatment protocol). We have had the 6 month after treatment check and heartworms are gone. Xray shows some scarring of his lungs but nothing that is causing him any issues, and he has no restrictions. He's a very active dog, love to run and go for walks. We see no effect from the HW, and the vets thought he'd be fine.

Your vet may want to do a chest X-ray and see just how the lungs look. But for the most part, these days HW treatment works and give them a pretty normal quality of life from what I see. Our lab rescue takes in quite a few HW positive dogs a year, and has a very active FB page.... have seen no reports of long term problems. That said, HW is VERY expensive to treat. The rescue here pays for it if you take it to one of their vets. Don't know if I'd have taken this on myself if we were footing the bill.

Let me know if you have other questions. Good luck!

 

[MrsDuck]

I have no advice or experience but I think this is awesome. Thank you for adopting.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

What is the breed that you can identify?

No experience with heart worm however our border collie who could walk for miles got ehrlichiosis (a tick disease) and can no longer do miles of walking. It really stinks.

I would say to have the place provide you with medical documentation of the heart/lungs before you adopt.

It is OK to pass on a dog if it will not fit your lifestyle. Find your perfect match.

In my humble experience that is the most important item when considering adopting a dog. It is not fair to you or the dog.

Also as the dog ages it may be very limited with exercise because of the previous heart worm issues, so do take that into consideration.

You may need a more rugged dog if you want to do 5 miles + daily.

 

[tzolkin]

Thanks, Pluto Pony.

The rescue is paying for the treatment (their vet). They were planning to go with the "slow" treatment (so she has already started on the HW preventative and antibiotic), but they are giving us the option of the "fast" method (the one you described) and have scheduled the procedure for later this month. I have read that it is expensive (although I don't know how much exactly) so I think that's why they prefer the "slow" method. They also waived our adoption fee (just out of kindness over an experience with our previous dog, not due to the HW), so DH and I are planning to make a donation to the rescue to help fund the treatment.

They just said she was a "strong positive" and she was panting constantly yesterday (no cough) so I was concerned about long-term damage. The panting is less today and she seems to have regular breathing while she sleeps, so I don't really know if it's the severity of the HW, the excitement of meeting us and coming home, that she just started the meds a few days ago, or permanent damage that will limit her ability to exercise.

 

[wilkeliza]

It will depend on how much damage there has been done to their heart. A dog could be treated and end up with very minor heart damage or they could have a particularly nasty case and end up with pretty bad damage. It will depend on how long the dog has been heart worm positive and how badly the infection is.

Use the fast method please. It costs more but the slow method allows the adult heart worms to stay alive because heart worm prevention medicine only kills 1 life stage of heart worms and it is not the adult stage. So the entire time the dog is on the slow treatment then they have adult worms in their heart wreaking havoc. It also allows heart worms to stay that may be immune to the hw prevention drugs thus creating a higher shot for the population as a whole to become immune. I get why rescues do it but it is not efficient and often leaves the dogs in pretty rough shape. Slow method should only be used when there is a "faint" positive because a dog can be negative for HW, faint positive for HW, or full blown positive.

 

[tzolkin]

What is the breed that you can identify?

No experience with heart worm however our border collie who could walk for miles got ehrlichiosis (a tick disease) and can no longer do miles of walking. It really stinks.

I would say to have the place provide you with medical documentation of the heart/lungs before you adopt.

It is OK to pass on a dog if it will not fit your lifestyle. Find your perfect match.

In my humble experience that is the most important item when considering adopting a dog. It is not fair to you or the dog.

Also as the dog ages it may be very limited with exercise because of the previous heart worm issues, so do take that into consideration.

You may need a more rugged dog if you want to do 5 miles +.

Yes, these are all my concerns.

We have really been trying to base our decision on personality/fit for our family and have been open to any dog that would be a good match. Our home is very quiet/calm (house full of introverts), but we do have the outdoors/walking/hiking element so it has been tough finding a lower energy/right personality dog that suits us.

She is really a mutt-- DH's description would be "dustbowl-era eating out of a dumpster scruffy looking". My best possible guess would be Wheaten Terrier and maybe German Shepherd? Around 45lb. Maybe 5+ yrs old (will get my vet's opinion on Monday)

 

[tzolkin]

It will depend on how much damage there has been done to their heart. A dog could be treated and end up with very minor heart damage or they could have a particularly nasty case and end up with pretty bad damage. It will depend on how long the dog has been heart worm positive and how badly the infection is.

Use the fast method please.

I'm the type of personality that hates "it depends", but I know that's the reality of it. Unfortunately, we don't know how long she has had it (was brought in as a stray) or really how bad it is at this point.

We have already decided to do the fast method (unless we do not go through with the adoption. I would assume the rescue would opt for the slow method in that case). She has the procedure scheduled for the end of the month (their first available).

 

[wilkeliza]

I'm the type of personality that hates "it depends", but I know that's the reality of it. Unfortunately, we don't know how long she has had it (was brought in as a stray) or really how bad it is at this point.

We have already decided to do the fast method (unless we do not go through with the adoption. I would assume the rescue would opt for the slow method in that case). She has the procedure scheduled for the end of the month (their first available).

I hate the it depends as well. Your vet will be able to give you more information as it is a simple xray or ultrasound to figure out how bad it is. Since the rescue is saying it is a strong positive I will say they have moderate to severe heart worm infection which leads to heart worm disease. Every day the dog has those worms they are scaring heart muscle and going to cause issues. Since she already has a pretty bad cough there could also be lung issues. I'm sure you will get a much better idea on Monday with your vet. They will be able to do some tests and figure out what is up. At least in the mean time she has a nice home to stay in while you make a decision. If you decide she isn't the right fit don't feel bad about it. There are some great breeds that are mostly quiet but have the ability of being active which sounds like what you want.

 

[PlutoPony]

Unless the disease as progressed significantly, my distinct impression is that most dogs come through with a pretty normal quality of life. The lab rescue here places 1000+ dogs a year and I just don't hear stories of dogs that have a long term problem with HW.

I did find a difference of opinion / perspective between my vet and the vet who did the HW treatment. Let me say up front I like and respect both, and would use either with no reservation. The vet who did the HW is about an hour from us so it's not practical to switch to them. That said, my vet doesn't see and treat nearly as many HW cases as does the vet who works with this lab rescue. So I tended to put a little more credence in info I received from the HW vet than mine on this issue. However both vets agreed that they thought he'd be fine long term, and both saw the same (ugly) X-rays. Personally I'd ask your vet their opinion on long term prognosis and I'd get the same info from the vet doing the HW treatment.... see if they agree.

As for fast vs slow method, actually the slow method is the one recommended by the American Heartworm Society and is what most vets here recommend. It's safer, because killing the adult worms all at once can be a significant shock to the system and cause problems. Both approaches use antibiotic and HW preventative to kill the juveniles before using the rough shots to take out the adults. The 2 treatment shot system is more expensive though, requires more visits to the vet and I think takes a little more med (which is the real $ part of the treatment). This is where the 2 sets of vets we consulted disagreed - our vet would not do 1 set of shots. But that's the treatment normally used by the lab rescue, probably because it takes a lot less time for Fosters and adopters (the quiet time can be brutal lol), it's cheaper, most of their HW positive dogs aren't in awful shape as far the HW infestation, and it's typically successful. For cases such as our dog - with pretty advanced HW - the rescue vets do recommend taking the slow approach and that's what happened in our case. And it all ended up good.

 

[HM]

Our Golden Retrevier got Heartworms when she was less than or around one year old (I was a kid then). While she was very delicate while on the medicine, she recovered really well and lived a full life with nothing that seemed to restrict her activity at all.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, these are all my concerns.

We have really been trying to base our decision on personality/fit for our family and have been open to any dog that would be a good match. Our home is very quiet/calm (house full of introverts), but we do have the outdoors/walking/hiking element so it has been tough finding a lower energy/right personality dog that suits us.

She is really a mutt-- DH's description would be "dustbowl-era eating out of a dumpster scruffy looking". My best possible guess would be Wheaten Terrier and maybe German Shepherd? Around 45lb. Maybe 5+ yrs old (will get my vet's opinion on Monday)

No border collie for you, lol.

We also have a lab/retriever/shepherd/chow mix and at 12yo he can still walk for miles without any struggle. He is made for walking and a rugged dog.

In addition something you may have not thought about, is that this dog is sick and while the dog may seem like a good match now, once he is well you will see the true personality.

Terrier mixes in general are pretty high energy.

 

[tzolkin]

As for fast vs slow method, actually the slow method is the one recommended by the American Heartworm Society and is what most vets here recommend. It's safer, because killing the adult worms all at once can be a significant shock to the system and cause problems. Both approaches use antibiotic and HW preventative to kill the juveniles before using the rough shots to take out the adults. The 2 treatment shot system is more expensive though, requires more visits to the vet and I think takes a little more med (which is the real $ part of the treatment). This is where the 2 sets of vets we consulted disagreed - our vet would not do 1 set of shots. But that's the treatment normally used by the lab rescue, probably because it takes a lot less time for Fosters and adopters (the quiet time can be brutal lol), it's cheaper, most of their HW positive dogs aren't in awful shape as far the HW infestation, and it's typically successful. For cases such as our dog - with pretty advanced HW - the rescue vets do recommend taking the slow approach and that's what happened in our case. And it all ended up good.

I believe what you're referring to as "slow" (also based on your first post)-- the two phases administered by the vet (immiticide injections)-- is what I'm referring to as "fast". The "fast" method you mentioned-- vet administered all at once-- would be a third option.

What the rescue and vet here call "slow" is giving the regular monthly HW preventative (along with antibiotic) which basically keeps the worms from reproducing/getting worse but lets the mature worms die off eventually (over the course of 2 years). The worms are still doing damage during this time, so that's why we would rather get rid of them with the faster method. It is more risky since the dog could die from the treatment, but would be less damage in the long term if the treatment is successful.

 

[tzolkin]

No border collie for you, lol.

We also have a lab/retriever/shepherd/chow mix and at 12yo he can still walk for miles without any struggle. He is made for walking and a rugged dog.

In addition something you may have not thought about, is that this dog is sick and while the dog may seem like a good match now, once he is well you will see the true personality.

Terrier mixes in general are pretty high energy.

Yes, border collies, jack russell terriers, etc. would probably be to much for me in the house. (I work from home, so I think I would get completely overstimulated being around that energy 24/7.)

More energy from this particular dog when she is feeling better would be fine. I can't imagine she could ever be nuts and the walking plus DH and DS playing outside every evening if that's what she was up for would tire (most) dogs out. Our previous dog (pit bull) was extremely athletic, but very chill in the house.

I know that no dog may meet everything on our list and be "perfect", but there are certain things that are high priorities for our family. Our previous dog was as close to perfectly suited as I could imagine (personality fit for me, house manners, eager to be trained, and physical health), but she had likely been used as a bait dog (many bite scars and found pregnant in an area where dogfighting is popular) so she was extremely dog aggressive and could be unpredictable with people. We worked with a professional and spent several hours a day dedicated to training, but could never get to the point of her being comfortable around dogs (even at a distance) and I could never be completely comfortable with her around the kids (never unsupervised). Due to that experience, our top priority is being easy-going with people/dogs/new situations. I have the time, willingness, and ability to train for the other stuff.

 

[PlutoPony]

I believe what you're referring to as "slow" (also based on your first post)-- the two phases administered by the vet (immiticide injections)-- is what I'm referring to as "fast". The "fast" method you mentioned-- vet administered all at once-- would be a third option.

What the rescue and vet here call "slow" is giving the regular monthly HW preventative (along with antibiotic) which basically keeps the worms from reproducing/getting worse but lets the mature worms die off eventually (over the course of 2 years). The worms are still doing damage during this time, so that's why we would rather get rid of them with the faster method. It is more risky since the dog could die from the treatment, but would be less damage in the long term if the treatment is successful.

Ah yes - you are correct about my slow + fast interpretation. Thanks for catching the disconnect and explaining. The "slow" you mentioned of just using HW preventative is not offered as an option by the rescue we work with. Too great a risk. HW preventative with Ivermectin is used for 2 months prior to the first treatment injection to get an immediate start on killing the juveniles. I agree the "super slow" method is not one I'd use or place much confidence in.

I know that no dog may meet everything on our list and be "perfect", but there are certain things that are high priorities for our family.

Totally understand where you are coming from with this point. We had a similar list of "requirements", based mainly on our current dog's needs and personality (he's a lab rescue from the same organization) and our lifestyle. We talked extensively with our adoption coordinator about these things, made a few adjustments and went from there. You already know there's no perfect dog so your expectations are reasonable. I have been surprised at how much both of our rescue dogs' personalities have changed with time. Our 1st rescue started really changing at about 6 months in. Our more recent rescue was a stray, picked up by animal control and rescued by this group. We've had him for 9 months and his personality is still very much a work in progress. Will be interesting to see how he ends up, he's a sweetheart and a snuggler, but seems quite new to deeply bonding with people or animals.

Sounds like you're doing all the right things, I think you'll be happy with the outcome if the vets are comfortable with the HW prognosis. Enjoy your weekend with your new creature!

 

[Boones Ridge]

We adopted a heartworm positive dog last June from lab rescue. He had a pretty significant case of it, plus pneumonia in the lungs the month before (he was with a Foster for a while before we adopted him) and caught kennel cough just before starting HW treatment. In other words his lungs were a bit of a mess - BUT he was still active and didn't act particularly sick from it. He got through the HW treatment well. We did it in 2 phases of 1 month each, so he had to be kept quiet for a total of 60 days (sometimes they use only 1 treatment and 1 month of quiet but because his lungs weren't in good shape, they wanted to use the 2 treatment protocol). We have had the 6 month after treatment check and heartworms are gone. Xray shows some scarring of his lungs but nothing that is causing him any issues, and he has no restrictions. He's a very active dog, love to run and go for walks. We see no effect from the HW, and the vets thought he'd be fine.

Your vet may want to do a chest X-ray and see just how the lungs look. But for the most part, these days HW treatment works and give them a pretty normal quality of life from what I see. Our lab rescue takes in quite a few HW positive dogs a year, and has a very active FB page.... have seen no reports of long term problems. That said, HW is VERY expensive to treat. The rescue here pays for it if you take it to one of their vets. Don't know if I'd have taken this on myself if we were footing the bill.

Let me know if you have other questions. Good luck!

Trying to adopt this chihuahua mix, but we were told by the vet that she might have had this heartworm for at least 6 months and he also said the heartworms had already started multiplying. We were also told that the cost of treatment is pretty expensive. How much did the whole treatment cost

 

[aprilchem]

My in-laws adopted a heartworm-positive American Bulldog, and went with the slow treatment. The dog ended up being fine (no restrictions) but lived much shorter than it's normal lifespan - it just died last fall and I think it was only 6 or 7 when it died. The vet said that it was because the heartworms had weakened its heart muscles.

 

[Boones Ridge]

Problem is we have another dog, and my wife is worried that comes summer, with mosquitoes active, we might be endangering our dog with a heartworm positive dog.

 

[tzolkin]

Trying to adopt this chihuahua mix, but we were told by the vet that she might have had this heartworm for at least 6 months and he also said the heartworms had already started multiplying. We were also told that the cost of treatment is pretty expensive. How much did the whole treatment cost

We actually did not wind up going through with the adoption, so I'm not sure about the treatment cost. (The dog wound up having some other health problems-- and an allergic reaction to the antibiotics-- and could not do the fast treatment. The rescue had her fostered by an elderly couple instead.) I believe the average cost is around $1000.


UPDATE to the Original Post:
A few weeks after this post (late April) we adopted a 4 month old puppy. The rescue thought she was a Dutch Shepherd, but she now only weighs 26lb so we have no idea what she really is. No mother or other puppies to give us any clues. (She was brought to a shelter as a "stray", but I know sometimes that means "I just don't want this dog, but I don't want the guilt of acknowledging that I'm surrendering it")

Then over the summer we decided to add a second dog to our family, so we searched... and searched... until mid-November when we found a greyhound who is the perfect fit. He is nearly 5 and I am currently working on having him certified as a therapy dog so we can visit hospitals and nursing homes. On a related note to this thread-- he was HW+ in 2014 and they did the slow treatment. I had some reservations about that (concerned he may have a shorter lifespan or other effects), but he's really so wonderful that we will be happy even if we only have him in our family for a few years.

 

[Boones Ridge]

Can you please explain how to go about the "slow treatment." I really don't have much time. The local animal shelter told us she 72 hours.