How do you know if your dog has heart worms ??

Question

Are there any signs?
Do you just have to go to the vet and check for heart worm??

Answer 1

Honey, for all the experience I have with animals, dogs, and I have worked for several vets, I lost my beloved to heart worms. She was on prevention when misfortune came our way and there were months that she missed her doses. When we came back together I suspected heart worms, not from signs, but from knowledge of my area (highly infected with mosquitoes), when she showed the first sign - exhaustion, it was too late and I had to put her down. The vet said it was the worst case he had ever seen.

The only way to check for heart worms is through a blood sample, a vet can look through a microscope and/or it can be sent to a lab.

Get your dog checked now. If the dog has heartworms, he can be treated(so long as it is not to far gone), if not the dog needs to go on a preventive.

Learn from my mistake, please, get your dog checked. I miss my Harley so bad, and it was my fault. I knew better.

Answer 2

The best (and only for-sure way) to find out if your dog has heartworms is to have the vet do a blood test to look for the worms in the blood. It is important to know the dog's heartworm status before you start them on heartworm preventive.
Canine heartworm disease has been reported in every state of the Union, and it is really important to have every dog on heartworm preventive for those seasons when mosquitoes are around - in states where the winters are really cold - or year-round in the rest of the country.
Heartworm disease does not cause symptoms (cough, easy fatiguability, shortness of breath) until it is far advanced, and has already caused damage.

Answer 3

It will take about 5 minutes at the vets where they test their blood

Answer 4

wont eat as much if at all but make sure you do go to a vet!!!!

Answer 5

They may be more lethargic, breath harder....things like that. Please get him to a vet as soon as possible. I hope your dog is ok.