LoveToKnow Dogs:AllComments

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Hi Twotoos,

It's difficult to say for sure whether the worms are causing the itching feeling or if your dog has an undiagnosed case of mites. Mites would not show up because they burrow beneath the skin, and it takes a skin scraping to identify them.

The collapse was definitely due to the heartworms, and it sounds like the case is advanced if it's causing your dog to collapse. You should let your vet know about that happening right away. I'm not sure if using the preventative for treatment will be enough at this point, but I do understand your vet's concern about giving your dog the stronger treatment because there are risks involved.

Best wishes that your dog will make it through this illness.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

i have a boxer that we adopted from a rescue org. they told us he has heartworms but 0 micro. the vet recommended treating with preventative because he had undergone treatment for red mange with ivermectin. he has never had any signs of heartworms. today he has been active as usal and within a 10 minute period of time was laid down almost unrespnsive. after about 45 minutes he was up again but without any energy. drank water & vomited about 10 times. now unable to sleep...keeps wanting outside and keeps scratching & digging like he is covered in fleas or something. he has 0 flees. could the adult heartworms have gotten into his blood stream and causinghim to feel like something is crawling all over him?

-- Contributed by: twotoos

Hi GrandmaBarb,

It sounds like you clicked on an advertisement. LTK doesn't charge for advice. You may find it helpful to visit our Ask the Cat Expert page at LTK Cats.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Pretty sneaky getting you to register then when you ask a question you expect a free answer. Instead they charge you.I refuse to pay for answer. I better not getcharged.or I will report this. I will just take my cat to my own vet .

-- Contributed by: grandmaBarb

Hi Val,

It sounds like you clicked on one of the advertisements next to the comments box. Yes, they do charge for veterinary advice at Dog.JustAnswers.com, but they aren't actually part of LoveToKnow Dogs. Sorry for any confusion and I hope this clears things up. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

that is total B.S., telling us to ask a question to an online vet and then asking us how much we wanna pay!

-- Contributed by: Val

Hi Bob,

Yes, those can be symptoms of heartworm, but they can also be caused by a respiratory infection. The best thing to do is make an appointment with your vet right away. Your vet will take a blood draw to check for the presence of heartworms, and also listen for fluid buildup in the lungs. If this does turn out to be heartworms, you dog will require a lengthy treatment before being put on regular preventative to stave off a reoccurence.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your dog will be alright.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hello i think my dog has heartworms what should i do. here are the symptoms Coughing Heavy breathing

-- Contributed by: Bob

Hi Cole,

I'm so glad your vet was able to diagnose the problem and that you caught it early. Yes, it's going to be extremely important to keep your dog still over the next month. That's to keep worm segments from breaking away and causing a clot before they've been dissolved.

Thanks for letting us know what you found out. I hope other visitors will be inspired to consult their vets if they notice similar symptoms in their own pets. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Thanks Kelly I took my dog to the vet and she does have heartworms. But the good thing is we caught it before they really started to form. they did stuff to her to make her better and she cant run around for 3 weeks or they might come back. But she is doing fine and i think she will live. :)

-- Contributed by: Cole

Hi Cole, if your dog breathes heavily even when at rest, then yes, this is a good reason to visit the vet for an exam. I don't want to frighten you needlessly, but this type of breathing could be a sign that the heart's function is impaired in some way that is keeping enough oxygen from being supplied to the lungs. Rather than having me speculate further, the best thing to do is let the vet examine your pet and make an educated diagnosis.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and I hope all will be well. Please let us know what you find out.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My dog is always breathing heavy. i was wondering if i need to take her to the vet.

-- Contributed by: Cole

Hi Alex,

Treatment for an established heartworm infection is very expensive and carries significant dangers for your pet. Therefore, it's very expensive. The cost varies depending on where you live, but the average cost of the immiticide injections seems to range from $500.00 to $1,500.00. For an accurate assessment of the cost, it would be best to call three local vets and compare costs between them.

Thanks for your question, and good luck.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

how much does the treatment for heartworm cost for dogs ?

-- Contributed by: alex

Hi ALM,

I've never heard that dogs with heartworm feel compelled to eat grass. If your dog is eating grass compulsively, it may be a sign of boredom or anxiety. I recommend that you unchain your dog and get him out for some exercise and mental stimulation. Try to include him more in your daily life and provide his with some toys. This will give him something to do besides eat the grass, and I think you'll find you enjoy interacting with him more.

All of that said, if you haven't had your dog on a heartworm preventative, it would be a good idea to have your vet give him a checkup. Heartworms can be detected through a simple blood test.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Is it true that dogs with heart worms eat grass all the time?

I have one chained outside, thats all he seems to want to do is eat grass and someone told me that this was a sign that he had heart worms. Is this true?

-- Contributed by: ALM

Hi Linda,

That would only be likely if mosquitos went back and forth between biting the dogs. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

if u had a dog die from it ,can other dogs get

-- Contributed by: linda

Hi Andrew, and welcome to the site.

No, unfortunately the presence of worms in the stool doesn't mean a dog is fighting off a heartworm infestation. Heartworms are not shed in the stool, and it takes a blood test to reveal their presence. It's possible your dog might have heartworm if she hasn't been on a preventative, but your vet would need to test her to know for sure.

That said, if you've found evidence of worms in her stool, she probably has intestinal parasites. In this situation, the best thing you can do is take a stool sample to your vet for analysis. It's important to determine which kind of worms your dog has in order to decide which worming medication is called for.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your dog's health.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

If my dog shows no symtoms of heartworm, but has worms in her fecule does that mean she's fighting it

-- Contributed by: Andrew Larkin

Hi Olga, and welcome to the site.

I wouldn't recommend doing that because giving the preventative after a dog has developed heart worms can lead to serious complications. The best thing to do is let your vet do a blood test for heartworms and if your dogs are clear you're then free to start them on preventative.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

hi my question to you is: can i give my 2and 6 year old dogs the heart gard pill without knowing if they have heartworms?

-- Contributed by: olga

Hi Suzanna,

I was able to find a veterinary reference about male dogs still being able to produce litters after heartworm treatment, but it appears there hasn't been a comprehensive study done on the topic.

My advice would be to have your vet examine your dog once more for the heartworms to make sure the infestation has finished clearing. Sometimes there can be permanent damage to the heart if the infestion was severe enough, so it's best to make sure your dog is now healthy enough to proceed. You can then have the vet perform a sperm count to assess the numbers and health of the sperm before you attempt to use your dog at stud again. If everything looks good, you can reintroduce him to your breeding program.

Thanks for your question, and I hope all the test results are good. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

my dog tested positive last year was treated and rid of heartworms they used the arsnic drug . he is a stud. can the treatment sterilize him if so is it permanant or temporary?

-- Contributed by: suzanna freeman

Hi Selkie,

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. The very best thing you can do is take her for an exam right away. These symptoms could indicate anything from kennel cough to heartworm or a heart condition. Let the vet make the diagnosis so your dog is sure to get the correct treatment.

Best wishes for your dog's recovery.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

my dog has developed a horrible cough, she is losing her hair, and it looks as if she is trying to vomit or cough out something but what comes out is white foamy stuff and a hint of pink. She seems listless and this just seemed to show this past week.

-- Contributed by: selkiepeople@yahoo.com
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