Heartworm?

Question

My neighbor gave me his Rottweiler. He kept the poor thing outside chaned to the side of his garage. I called the Humane Society once on him. But for some reason, nothing happened. But I guess they got more complaints on the dogs condition. A couple of days ago, he gave me the rotty. His name is Hoss.

I took him to the vet yesterday. He got his shots, and was tested for heartworm. He came back positive. His is between 8 and 9 years old. The vet said that Hoss may not live through his treatment. He told me I needed make a decision on Hoss's future. I don't want to give up on him, he is a very good dog, but I don't want hem to suffer. What would you do?

Answer 1

Hi. Good on you for taking the dog on.

The main thing you need to look at is whether he is showing any clinical signs of heartworm, or whether the positive test is the only indicator of infection.

Signs would include things like coughing, difficulty breathing during exercise, weight loss, etc. It may also be an idea (whether he is showing any of these signs or not) to talk to your vet about doing a chest x-ray to see if there have been any changes to his lungs, vessels or heart, and also a general blood profile to check organ function. All of this will allow the vet to grade the severity of the infection.

If he is only in the early stages of disease- either showing no signs at all, or showing only minimal signs, then the risks associated with treatement are very low provided that you follow home care instructions very strictly.

The biggest problem associated with treatment is that the dog must be VERY STRICTLY rested after treatment with the drug to kill the adult worms- this means being confined to one room (or even a cage) and only going outside on a lead (even for going to the toilet). If the disease is more advanced, the dog also needs to be rested before treatment, and may require anti-inflammatories and other drugs during treatment to deal with respiratory distress. Although the prognosis becomes worse in disease that has progressed further, it is still possible for the dog to make a good recovery.

Really, if you've got the money to proceed with treatment, and are able to keep the dog well rested, I'd definitely go ahead. Without treatment, the disease will worsen over time, but this will give him a good chance, particularly if he is not severely affected.

Answer 2

Unfortunately your vet may be right. You didn't mention what stage your dog is in, but if it is stage 3 or 4, you may want to consider what he has suggested. There are, however, some less dangerous treatments that can give the dog a longer life, while not completely ridding him of the heartworms. If your vet has not discussed this option with you, you need to ask.
This needs to be a pretty long conversation. Ask lots of questions and make sure your vet is completely honest with you.
My sister's dog had heartworm, I don't know what stage, but she was treated without the injections. The vet's treatment sterilized all the adult worms, so they were unable to reproduce and cause the disease to get worse. This kept the dog living for a few more years.
I had a very young dog, who was stage 2. She died three days after her injections because of stress.
This is a disease to take very seriously. If I had it to do over again, I would have opted for the other treatment. I would still have my dog.

By the way, great job saving the dog. I am sure whatever you decide to do, he appreciates you.

Edit: almost forgot! Here is a great website to learn about heartworm: www.veterinarypartner.com

Answer 3

I completely agree with Stinkerbelle. If I were in your situation, the doctor said it is do-able, and had the $$$, I would go ahead with treatment. Rotties are wonderful dogs and although Hoss is 8-9 y.o. he could live another 3-4 years, I know a couple of 13 y.o. Rotts. Get the tests that Stinkerbelle said to first. You will then have a better idea as which course to take with this poor baby. Good luck to both of you. I hope Hoss can be saved from the heartworm, but know that you have already saved this sweet doggy from the hell he was already in. However many days he has left are heaven on earth in comparison. We adopted a 10 y.o. Rottie with lymphoma sarcoma. Had him for 33 days before we had to say the final farewell. We were more than willing to give him his final home and we know he loved every minute he was with us. Bless you for saving this flutternubby.

Answer 4

my eldest Rottweiler had heart worm when i got her as a 1 year old.....shes now 13.
there are 2 methods of treating heartworm.
1) they get a probe and pull the worms out, i imagine this would be traumatic and dangerous.
2) the inject an arsenic based injection into the blood stream, this thins the blood and kills the worms, the worms break down and are disposed of through the blood stream. with this treatment it is imperative the the dog is kept quite for 2 weeks, any exercise with cause the blood to thicken, this can cause clots and kill the dog.
The second treatment is what my dog had. hence the fact i can give you more information on that method.
the other option is, leave him how he is, make sure his comfortable and happy, once he is not happy has him put to sleep. this opinion would depend on a few things..1. he is 8 or 9, apart from the heartworm is he in good health? hips? and everything?
the cost, its going to be expensive. on that point. i would get the old owner to sign something to say you now own the dog, the last thing you want is to get him fixed up and the old owner saying he wants him back.
If he was mine I'd go option 2
Good luck

Answer 5

Dogs can respond very well to heartworm treatment but you have to spend a lot on the treatment and have to be there to keep him still and calm during the long process. That means all day and night, not just at the vet. He may not live, but then again he may. Heartworm is serious and can be fatal, the vet is required to tell you the chances. I work with several rescues in my day to day at work and I know of several dogs who have been treated and lived.
This is a hard decision to make. I've been in your shoes. I'll keep Hoss in my prayers!

Answer 6

Canine Heartworm Disease is a very serious problem in dogs. If left un-treated dogs will develop life threatening heart damage. Heartworm treatment is also a very risky treatment to go through. If the worms die off to fast they can cause a blockage (clot) in the vessels and lungs and cause death. With Hoss' age I would recommend your vet does a thorough workup before proceeding with treatment. This would include chest x-rays to check for heart enlargement or vessel damage, blood work to check liver and kidney function, and possibly an EKG to check for electrical imbalances. I have treated many dogs for heartworm, so far I have only lost 1 to the treatment (he was very sick malnourished prior to treatment). Check out the website below it has a lot of good info. No answer is the right one when it comes to treating heartworm. I have seen dogs have a horrible time with the treatment and the one I lost went through hell. A lot will depend on what stage the heartworm is in and how much damage has already been done. Hope this Helps and Good Luck

Answer 7

The vet was right to warn you. The treatment for heart worms is basically a poison to kill the worms but can kill the dog. And it is often expensive and the dog would need to be confined or crated so they can rest and recover for a while. Otherwise, is the dog in good health? Does the vet think the dog can withstand the treatment and have a good quality of life afterwards ? But if the dog is very sick now and having difficulty breathing and in pain, the humane thing to do is have it euthanized. But it if were me, if I could afford it, I would do everything possible to help the dog survive.

Answer 8

If he has a severe heartworm infestation treatment may not go well, however I think you owe it to him to at least give it a try (be aware heartworm treatment can be expensive). You will need to follow the vets instructions very closely.
Good luck.

Answer 9

If he needs wormer, give him the treatment. It may seem cruel, but may save him lots of trouble in the future. If he doesn't make it, it's probably better for him than suffering, anyway.!

Answer 10

Depending on your financial situation, I would try to fix him. But then maybe I would let him live until he was unfomortable or suffering. That is a tuff situation. Good luck and God Bless you.