A diagnosis of heartworms is not a death sentence, even in a somewhat older dog.
Precious “Sweetie” came to see us this week, her first doctor’s visit in her 8-year lifespan. Not surprisingly, having never been on a heartworm preventive and living in a swamp-surrounded, mosquito-laden area of a southern state, her test came back positive.
Pre-heartworm treatment radiographs of her chest indicated only moderate damage to the heart and lungs, and complete blood count, chemistry profile and urinalysis show that her body is up to the challenge of a carefully-executed heartworm treatment.
We are beginning the process tomorrow, and anticipate a full and uncomplicated recovery, despite her age.
Best of all, we anticipate extending her lifespan by several years by eliminating heartworms from her body. Within two years, we expect a followup radiograph of her chest to show little or no evidence that heartworms were ever there.
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.
Hi Dr. Randolph,
About 3 years ago I left a comment asking about the risks of treating heartworms in old/senior dogs as my 9 yo pug at the time tested positive with heartworms. I listed down the medications and treatment plans for her to get your second opinion and you reassured me that it would work.
I held on to your response and went with the treatment religiously. It’s been 3 years since and my pug is now 12 yo heartworm free ☺️ She’s taking heartgard monthly as prescribed by her vet which has become part of her maintenance and just a week ago we took her to the vet for annual checkup and she’s still all clear from heartworm.
Thank you so much and you have no idea what it meant for us when you responded to me years ago. I wasn’t expecting you’d respond as I understand this article was published years before I even stumbled upon it however you took time to reply and gave me hope at the time when we were devastated to learn my pug was heartworm positive.
Thank you for making my day. I’m glad you had the courage to proceed and, thus, have had these worry-free and happy three years. Here’s to many more! Thank you so very much for writing. Dr. Randolph.
I have a 12 year old Romanian shepard mix. He just tested positive for HW. We started as fast as possible the 30 days tratament with dewormers, antibiotic and pills to help his heart get stronger. The x rays show healthy lungs but the heart is alongated and pointy. He is active, eager to play, walk and even trot. He still likes to defend his teritory and has a good state of spirit. He has however a mild cough after he gets to excited and he sometimes makes weird sounds while he breaths. What cand I do more to help him? I am also giving him pills to protect his liver and tummy from all the tratament he is receiving.
I encourage you to click on this link and visit the American Heartworm Society‘s web page and read everything they say about treatment. Any remaining questions you have I or your local veterinarian would be happy to answer. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph.