Heartworm Treatment
Heartworm disease is a deadly condition for dogs and cats – please see our Education page for more information. Heartworms are transmitted from one animal to another by the bite of a mosquito. Heartworms in dogs can live for a long time and will continue to reproduce until the worm burden kills the dog. Heartworms in cats can cause sudden death or an anaphylactic response. Heartworm disease causes lasting damage to the heart, lungs, and arteries, causing health issues for the duration of your pet’s life. The sooner the worms are killed, the less damage to the body.
If the disease is caught early enough and your dog is otherwise healthy and doesn’t have any clinical signs (no lethargy, coughing, exercise intolerance, swollen abdomen, etc), we can offer the two-injection protocol of melarsomine, which kills 92% of the worms. Owners can opt for the three-injection protocol, which kills 98% of the worms. If your dog has any clinical signs, we recommend the three-injection protocol.
Sometimes, dogs are in end-stage heartworm disease, presenting with fluid-distended abdomens, coughing, and difficulty breathing. We try to stabilize with medications, but some dogs don’t respond to medications. These dogs are not candidates for melarsomine injections. Sometimes, dogs are too old or otherwise debilitated, so the injections are not an option. In these cases, we discuss a “slow kill” method, which is not optimal, but it is safer than the injections.
There is no vaccine for heartworms; prevention is the key. There are no injections for cats – we treat symptomatically and hope your kitty will clear the worms. Again, prevention is key.
Treatment Regimen:
When a dog tests positive for heartworms, we begin with getting your dog on heartworm prevention (stops the reproduction of the worms) and starting him/her on an antibiotic (doxycycline) to kill the bacteria that lives on the worms. The antibiotic is a 28-day course. As long as your dog is on a heartworm prevention, he/she can get the melarsomine injections at any time after the doxycycline is administered. For the two-injection protocol, your dog will receive a melarsomine injection 24 hours apart. For the three-injection protocol, your dog will receive one injection and then a month later, will receive two injections 24 hours apart. These injections are given deep in the back muscle and will make your dog feel sick/painful for a few days. We keep your dog on pain meds and steroids, but melarsomine is a nasty chemical. For this reason, heartworm prevention is by far the best option. It is also the most cost-effective. After treatment, a period of complete rest is vital.
Annual testing for dogs and cats is recommended. We start testing at 6-7 months of age and require yearly testing for dogs – heartworms are developing resistance to some of the older categories of medications.
Injection Pricing:
Does not include the price for doxycycline or heartworm prevention because required dosages are dog-specific.
If your dog is spayed/neutered at the time of treatment, you will receive a10% discount – proof of spay is required.
If the disease is caught early enough and your dog is otherwise healthy and doesn’t have any clinical signs (no lethargy, coughing, exercise intolerance, swollen abdomen, etc), we can offer the two-injection protocol of melarsomine, which kills 92% of the worms. Owners can opt for the three-injection protocol, which kills 98% of the worms. If your dog has any clinical signs, we recommend the three-injection protocol.
Sometimes, dogs are in end-stage heartworm disease, presenting with fluid-distended abdomens, coughing, and difficulty breathing. We try to stabilize with medications, but some dogs don’t respond to medications. These dogs are not candidates for melarsomine injections. Sometimes, dogs are too old or otherwise debilitated, so the injections are not an option. In these cases, we discuss a “slow kill” method, which is not optimal, but it is safer than the injections.
There is no vaccine for heartworms; prevention is the key. There are no injections for cats – we treat symptomatically and hope your kitty will clear the worms. Again, prevention is key.
Treatment Regimen:
When a dog tests positive for heartworms, we begin with getting your dog on heartworm prevention (stops the reproduction of the worms) and starting him/her on an antibiotic (doxycycline) to kill the bacteria that lives on the worms. The antibiotic is a 28-day course. As long as your dog is on a heartworm prevention, he/she can get the melarsomine injections at any time after the doxycycline is administered. For the two-injection protocol, your dog will receive a melarsomine injection 24 hours apart. For the three-injection protocol, your dog will receive one injection and then a month later, will receive two injections 24 hours apart. These injections are given deep in the back muscle and will make your dog feel sick/painful for a few days. We keep your dog on pain meds and steroids, but melarsomine is a nasty chemical. For this reason, heartworm prevention is by far the best option. It is also the most cost-effective. After treatment, a period of complete rest is vital.
Annual testing for dogs and cats is recommended. We start testing at 6-7 months of age and require yearly testing for dogs – heartworms are developing resistance to some of the older categories of medications.
Injection Pricing:
Does not include the price for doxycycline or heartworm prevention because required dosages are dog-specific.
If your dog is spayed/neutered at the time of treatment, you will receive a10% discount – proof of spay is required.
Table of prices effective June 1, 2026:
