Symptoms of Heartworms in Pets
Heartworms in pets could trigger various symptoms, a dog with
heartworm disease might project a different picture than what cats show.
Heartworm disease in dogs depends upon the number of heartworms present
in a dog’s body. Lesser number of heartworms in dogs probably won’t
exhibit any symptoms; dogs show acute symptoms only when there are
heartworms in excess of 40.
While the cats show signs of heartworm disease, even if, it has lesser
number of heartworms. Cats are also prone to show symptoms of heartworm
disease earlier than dogs.
Though, there is one prominent difference between a dog and a cat, when
it comes to facing heartworms.
A cat is better equipped to fight heartworms in the initial stages of
the formation of larva. A cat’s body has antigens, to fight heartworms,
while a dog’s immune system is bereft of such antigens.
As a dog, or a cat owner, you should always keep in mind about the
changes that your pet might show, after it gets infected with
heartworms.
Symptoms of heartworms in dogs
Dogs exhibit more than one symptoms of heartworm disease. It therefore
becomes all the more difficult for dog owners to ascertain the true
nature of the lingering symptoms.
A mild cough in dogs may not exactly be a heartworm symptom. It could
just be a passing cough and cold routine, but at times, mild cough in
dogs could be a sign of existence of heartworms in a dog’s body.
Here are few tested heartworm symptoms in a dog’s body.
- Your dog gets tired very easily. Dogs are normally
associated with a lot of zeal, vigor and energy. A dog tends to
react fast at the call of his master, but if the pet dog gets tired,
at the slightest physical exertion, it becomes a matter of concern.
- Breathing problems are making your dog uncomfortable. A
dog when attacked by heartworms over a period of time may show signs
of breathing problems, which eventually could lead to his death. A
dog might find unable to inhale oxygen from the air, and it could be
a sign of a heartworm disease.
- A dog shows signs of severe coughing. There are
instances, when a dog cough, coughing is of two types, one is a
normal cough, which is perhaps, contagious, but not deadly. The
other one results from heartworms, which is life threatening. You
may be in a dilemma, once your dog starts coughing,therefore,
consult a vet, to determine the cause of coughing.
- Your dog loses interest for meals. Normally, a dog does
face loss of appetite, once in a while, to get rid of the gas, which
gets accumulated in the stomach. The loss of appetite lasts for a
day, but when a dog avoids eating meals for a
 much longer period of
time, you need to ascertain the cause. A vet should be consulted.
- In extreme cases, your dog could display symptoms of
jaundice, especially when the dog’s liver gets damaged.
Symptoms of heartworms in dogs could be very confusing for a
normal pet owner. You need the eyes of a vet to determine the
exactly nature of heartworm symptoms.
Therefore, you are advised to consult a vet, if your dog shows any
of the above symptoms.
|
