Got a Border Collie from the Humane Society with Heartworm Heart Worm?

Question

i am suppose to take my adopted dog back to the Humane Society in a week to get her final Heart worm shot. I was wondering if this is terminal? I thought I was told that that would be the final shot and otherwise she was healthy but needed Heart worm treatment. She was already being treated while at the Humane Society. I am confused.

This is treatment for heartworm and is not a heartworm preventative. She actually has it and coughs now and then (kind of like an asthma thing).

Answer 1

If she is getting her last shot for treatment, then your dog should be healthy after that. Dogs that have recovered from heartworm infestation can expect to live a normal lifespan.
What she WILL need, as all dogs need, is monthly heartworm preventative, either spot on skin treatments (such as Revolution) or a monthly pill...AFTER completion of her treatment and being tested negative for heartworm.

Answer 2

this shot is the final phase of her TREATMENT - after this she then needs to be on the PREVENTATIVE all year long - not just during mosquito breeding season. Even indoor pets should be on preventatives, heart worms are nasty. And NEVER give heart worm preventative medicine without having a vet do a blood test first to check. The animal must be treated FIRST, like your dog was. What a lucky dog to be adopted by you! Way to go!!! Also lucky the Humane Society tested then treated her, as undiagnosed heart worms are fatal eventually. Just another reason to adopt from shelters that do this as protocol, or reputable breeders- they have healthier animals than the ignorant backyard breeders! Advanced heart worm infestations are often too far progressed to be treatable - at that stage even the cure could possibly result in her demise. But thankfully, that was not the case for your dog obviously.Your vet will be able to assess if she has any permanent damage from the heart worms, and periodic yearly followups should be done. But since this was caught and treated early, she should have a full,healthy,happy life with you. So get ready for lots of doggie kisses :)

Answer 3

It can be terminal. But with the treatment it is curable. Once she is finished the treatment you need to keep her on heartworm preventative. to prevent her from getting them again. You DO need to finish the treatment. You also have to follow the directions that they gave you while she is getting treatment. The shorts they are giving her are killing the heartworms and they are breaking up. she should not be out running around or being very active until her treatment is over. with the worms dieing and breaking up then can get clogged in her arteries and cause a reaction like a blood clot. Best of luck to you and your new dog!

Answer 4

Sounds like your dog may be at the step 7 below.

Ok, heres the break down of heartworm treatment:
1.) Positive heartworm test (run twice to double check)
2.) Chest x-rays to visually check heart and lung vessel condition
3.) Blood panel & urinalysis to check for other organ damage which can occur with heartworm disease.
These help the doctor decide which treatment route will be best for the dog.

There are generally 2 treatments using Immiticide for heartworm:
If x-rays, blood work and urinalysis look good treatment will be 2 injections of Immiticide given 1 day apart.
If x-rays, blood work and urinalysis support damage, treatment will be 1 injection of Immiticide, wait 1 month then do the 2 day injection treatment.

4.) For the next 4-8 weeks the dog will have to be confined and activity limited to allow dying worms to be reabsorbed and prevent them from breaking loose causing a clot.
5.) Weekly rechecks at the vet to check for any problems associated with the dying adult heartworms for the next 4 weeks.
6.) Medication (steroids) may be required if the dog is reacting to the dying worms.
7.) At the last weekly recheck (4th week) the dog is given an oral dose of Ivermectin to kill any circulating microfilaria in the vessels so they do not have a chance to mature.
8.) 1 week after oral Ivermectin a filter-direct heartworm test is performed to visually look for microfilaria and be sure the oral ivermectin did its job.
9.) Monthly heartworm preventative is now started.
10.) 3-4 months after filter-direct heartworm test an occult heartworm test is performed to check for adult heartworm antibodies. This test "should" be negative, but if it is positive another test is done in 3 months to recheck as some dogs can have a false positive following treatment.
11.) Year round heartworm prevention and annual heartworm test form this stage on as any dog.

Answer 5

If your dog is going through a heartworm treatment she shouldn't be on a preventative.
The important thing to remember is, heartworms are in the heart. So, if she is getting treated for them, her heart rate needs to stay low and as normal as possible. They are in the blood stream and get filtered out, but if her heart rate gets high it can force a peice of worm out and it could cause a lot of problems. Your vet at the HS should explain all of this to you. But just don't exercise her for a few weeks and keep her calm.

Answer 6

My mother in law had a dog that had heart worms to the degree the doctors didn't feel the dog would survive treatment (he was severly infested) and he recovered and lived untill he was 12 years of age. After the heart worms were gone, he was just on the heart worm preventitive to keep him from getting them again. I bet this is what the HS is meaning.

Answer 7

If the dog has heartworms NOW, they put the dog through a type of chemotherapy. It's dangerous for the dog but works if caught early enough.

The preventative is administered to the dog on a year to year, every year basis -- without fail.
Here's a site that'll tell you more:
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/hartworm.html

Answer 8

sounds like she had heart worms and they are treating her and her final treatment is due. She must be fine or they wouldn't have let her be adopted. Now you need to be responsible and do as they tell you to do, give her heart worm preventative, flea and tick meds and keep up with her shots.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

you cannot treat heartworm with heartworm preventative.. Does your dog have heartworms or is she being given heartworm preventative???