Your pet has undergone treatment for Heartworm Disease. There may be some muscle soreness in his/her lower back as a result of the injections administered in this area for the heartworm treatment. The soreness usually resolves within 3-7 days after the treatment.
Try a game of stationary catch or use a clicker to train him to follow quiet commands while he's in his crate. Keeping your treated dog calm and quiet is one of the most important responsibilities a pet owner has during heartworm treatment.
The most common side effect of heartworm treatment is injection site reactions. Many post-treatment dogs will be sore as a result of muscle injury from the injection. It is important to avoid putting pressure on this area as the dog may overreact to the associated pain.
There should be no physical activity for 6 weeks or until cleared by the veterinarian. No play, no running. Active dogs that have a hard time resting after treatment, may be prescribed calming meds during recovery. The recovery period is a great time to train the brain.
The only product currently available for the treatment of adult heartworms is melarsomine dihydrochloride (immiticide). During treatment, the patient receives an intramuscular injection deep in the lower back muscles. This is a painful injection and it is common for the patient to be quite sore at home afterwards.
The medicine in the treatment (Immiticide) can cause a lot of inflammation at the injection site. This can occur no matter how smoothly things go and how little it seems to bother the dog at the time. This can range from being absolutely undetectable to a dog that is crying constantly with pain.
Most dogs can be safely leash-walked during the treatment recovery period and providing appropriate chew toys can help relieve some of that stored up physical energy.
Final Visit & Test – 8 months after Check Up:
A final examination is performed by a veterinarian, along with a test to see if the results come back confirming that your dog is now (hopefully) heartworm negative.
Twenty-six dogs (52%) experienced minor complications, such as injection site reactions, gastrointestinal signs (vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance), and behavioral changes (lethargy, depression) during or after heartworm treatment.
During this treatment your pet will begin taking Prednisone (a steroid) to help reduce inflammation in the lungs and vessels, caused by the worms before and after they die. Prednisone also helps reduce the risk of an acute pulmonary embolism (clot) that can cause sudden death.
Toxicity can occur if a dog is given an excessive dose of the medication (10 to 20 times the recommended dose). Additionally, certain dogs are genetically hypersensitive to the medication. In these dogs, ivermectin can pass directly to the brain and be toxic or even lethal.
There is some risk involved in treating dogs with heartworms, although fatalities are rare. "A new drug is available that does not have as many side effects, allowing successful treatment of more than 95% of dogs with heartworms."
Use Food as a Distraction
Without regular levels of physical activity, it is important not to overfeed your dog during heartworm treatment.
Strict rest is imperative for 6-8 weeks. This means that your pet can be leashed walked outside to urinate and defecated, but must come back inside to rest. Do not allow your pet to run, jump, climb stairs, or play rough with other dogs or children.
If exercise or excitement cause the treated dog's heart rate to rise, pieces of decomposing worms can be forced into the tiny blood vessels of the lungs, causing further complications. The more pronounced the clinical signs of heartworm disease are, the more restricted any activity or excitement need to be.
The injections are given within the muscle and can indeed be uncomfortable, but the inflammation that develops within the days following creates the most discomfort. Restlessness, panting, trembling and reduced appetite can all be signs that the dog is uncomfortable.
Dogs with heartworm disease can live high-quality lives as long as they are given appropriate care. After completing treatment and following your veterinarian's recommenda- tions on heartworm disease testing and prevention, the chances of any long-term effects are very low.
n The majority of dogs clear all heartworms with the standard treatment, but treatment is not always 100 percent effective. The label reads 90-99 percent effective; this is due to variation in each individual animal.
If swelling develops in the lower back area, please call. It is critical that your pet be kept under strict exercise restriction and confinement for 4 weeks after each phase of the heartworm treatment. Life threatening complications may arise if your pet is not confined.
Once treated, the heartworms die slowly and begin to dissolve, taking several weeks. Three to four weeks later, your dog will begin phase two to get rid of the baby heartworms. Following that, continued checkups and testing continues, and your canine pal will be placed on heartworm preventative medication.
There is no reason to allow running, jumping, or other physical activity at any time for 8 weeks after the start of the injectable heartworm adulticide treatment.
The dog may be required to stay at the hospital for 3-4 days. After treatment, the adult worms die and are carried by the blood to the lungs where they lodge in small blood vessels. There they decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months.
Since the treatment involves killing the heartworms while they're still in your dog's body, it's crucial to make sure he's inactive during and after treatment — meaning no running, jumping and playing.
Prednisone is routinely dosed at 0.5 mg/kg BID for the first week and 0.5 mg/kg once daily for the second week, followed by 0.5 mg/kg every other day (EOD) for 1 to 2 weeks.