Heartworm Treatment
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in pets in the United States and many other parts of the world. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes that have bitten an infected animal. The dog is a natural host for heartworms, which means that heartworms that live inside the dog mature into adults, mate and produce offspring. If untreated, their numbers can increase, and dogs have been known to harbor several hundred worms in their bodies. Heartworm disease causes lasting damage to the heart, lungs and arteries, and can affect the dog’s health and quality of life long after the parasites are gone. For this reason, heartworm prevention or early detection is by far the best option, and treatment should be administered as early in the course of the disease as possible. Annual testing for dogs older than seven months is recommended to have the best chance to start treatment before clinical symptoms appear.
If the disease is caught early enough and the dog isn't clinical (no lethargy, coughing, exercise intolerance, swollen abdomen, etc), we can usually successfully treat the dog.
If a dog is expressing symptoms such as coughing and has some exercise intolerance, a more rigorous treatment regimen is required and the outcome is still often successful.
Sometimes, we get dogs in end-stage heartworm disease that have the swollen abdomens and can barely breathe. Long-term medications may be able to stabilize the dog which may progress to the clearing the parasites, but this stage is fatal to dogs who do not respond the the medications.
There is no vaccine for heartworms but there are prevention measures that may be appropriate for your dog.
Annual testing for dogs older than seven months is recommended to have the best chance to start treatment before clinical symptoms appear.
Treatment Regimen (not end-stage)
When a dog tests positive we immediately start treatment with once-a-month chewable ivermectin-based prevention that stops the worms from getting worse and an antibiotic that kills the bacteria that live on the worms and actually cause a lot of the damage to the vessels. The antibiotic is administered for 28 days. After the 28 days an injectable drug is given to kill adult heartworms. This drug is administered in a series of injections. Dr. Robyn will determine the specific injection schedule according to your dog's condition. Most dogs receive two injections that are given 24 hours apart. For dogs that have early clinical symptoms an additional injection is required. After treatment, a period of complete rest is vital.
Injection Pricing for dogs with no clinical symptoms
Does not include the price for antibiotic or ivermectin-based prevention medication because required dosages are dog-specific.
If your dog has been previously neutered at time of treatment, there is a10% discount if you can produce proof of the spay/neuter or there is an obvious tattoo.
Weight |
Price |
2-22 lbs |
$175 |
23-44 lbs |
$275 |
45-66 lbs |
$400 |
67-88 lbs |
$500 |
89-110 lbs |
$600 |
111-131 lbs |
$700 |
132-150 lbs |
$825 |
151-170 lbs |
$950 |
171-195 lbs |
$1100 |