Worms are a common health issue that can affect dogs. There are five types of worms: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms, and heartworms. In this article, we will learn more about heartworms and answer a common question many dog owners have. This includes “What should you do if your dog’s vomit contains heartworms?”
Heartworm in dogs
Heartworm is a severe life-threatening disease affecting dogs and many other animals. Once heartworms enter your dogs body, they can mature into adults. As adults, they can produce offspring because a dog’s body is a natural host for them. If left untreated, their numbers can multiply, and dogs can carry hundreds of worms in their bodies.
The worms, which can reach a length of 30 cm, infest the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Most dogs don’t show symptoms in the early stage of a heartworm infestation However, the longer heartworms are present, the more likely symptoms will develop. Dogs with other underlying health issues frequently exhibit more noticeable signs of illness.
Symptoms of heartworms in dogs
Here is a summary of heartworm symptoms in dogs:
- Cough: Coughing is often one of the first signs of heartworm disease. It usually gets worse when a dog continues to be exercise a lot while they are infected.
- Tiredness: Dogs with heartworm disease are less active than usual because the worms compromise the heart and lungs.
- Weight loss: Dogs with heartworm disease may experience weight loss.
- Breathing difficulties: If heartworm disease leads to heart failure, it can cause a buildup of fluid in the lungs. This makes breathing much harder.
- Swollen abdomen: As the heartworm condition worsens, dogs may develop a swollen abdomen. Unfortunately, this can lead to excess fluid in their abdomen and even lead to congestive heart failure.
- Caval Syndrome: A heartworm infection can also cause an increase of blood flow within the heart. This can result in a fatal form of cardiovascular collapse known as caval syndrome. Symptoms of caval syndrome include pale gums, heavy breathing, and dark bloody or coffee-colored urine. Most dogs will die unless the heartworm blockage is surgically removed as soon as possible.
As you can see from the list, vomiting is not a common sign of heartworm disease in dogs.
What to do if there are Heartworms in your Dog’s Vomit?
Dogs cannot vomit heartworms because heartworms live primarily in the cardiovascular system, and cannot be vomited out. Your dog most likely is vomiting roundworm or tapeworm.
If your dog vomits a worm, you may not be dealing with heartworms. Instead, your dog is probably infected with a different type of worms. If it vomits a long smooth spaghetti-looking worm, you are most probably dealing with a roundworm. If the worm is segmented, it is most likely a tapeworm.
Vomiting is a more common sign of other types of worms than heartworms. If your dog starts vomiting often and you notice worms in its vomit, you should see a veterinarian right away. Even if your dog is not infected with worms, vomiting could indicate another health issue.
What to do if your dog has heartworm?
If you believe that your dog is infected with heartworms, you should take them to the vet for testing. Because visible symptoms of heartworm disease usually appear late in the infection, it is better for your dog to be examined by a veterinarian at the first sign of illness.
Heartworm treatment for dogs usually consists of administering prescribed medication by your veterinarian. While treatments are usually effective, it’s critical to start prevention treatments immediately to avoid reinfection. To learn more, check out my article on dog behavior after heartworm treatment.
The treatment prescribed by your veterinarian kills worms in the blood vessels of the lungs and can cause significant inflammation. If your dog has been treated for heartworm, strictly adhere to your veterinarian’s instructions. At the same time, it may cause side effects such as vomiting or coughing.
Heartworm medication for dogs
Heartworm medications are incredibly effective, but dogs can still become infected. Fortunately, over-the-counter heartworm prevention for dogs is widely available, and many brands help fight this illness. However, skipping just one dose of the medication can leave your dog vulnerable.
If you give your dog the medicine directly, make sure they swallow the medication and don’t spit it out.
It is critical to begin heartworm prevention for puppies at an early age. Heartworm prevention can begin as early as eight weeks of age. This will help shield them against heartworm from the start. While a mosquito bite can infect puppies with heartworm, the disease does not occur until the worms mature, which can take 6-7 months. As a result, heartworm disease is uncommon in puppies under six months.
Testing for heartworm
Even if dogs are on heartworm prevention, annual testing is recommended to ensure the prevention program is effective. The heartworm test only requires a small blood sample from your pet, which will detect the presence of heartworm proteins.
Some veterinarians perform heartworm tests in-house, while others send the specimens to a diagnostic laboratory. The results are obtained quickly in either case. Additional tests may be ordered if your pet’s test results are positive.
If your dog has heartworms, please follow the instructions below:
- The initial step is to verify the diagnosis. Because the heartworm treatment plan is complicated and expensive, your veterinarian will want to be confident that treatment is necessary.
- Next, you should limit your dog’s exercise, mainly if your dog is used to being active. Physical activity speeds up the rate at which heartworms cause damage to the heart and lungs—the more severe the symptoms of heartworms, the less activity your dog should have.
- The third step is to get your dog’s disease under control. Your dog’s condition may need to be maintained with effective therapy before the actual treatment can begin, especially if your dog has severe heartworm disease or another serious condition.
- The fourth step is to start the treatment. Once your veterinarian has decided that your dog is steady and ready for heartworm treatment, they will recommend a treatment plan to cure the illness.
- Finally, after six months, you should retest your dog to ensure effective treatment. To avoid your dog contracting heartworm disease again, you should give it heartworm prevention year-round for the rest of its life.
Conclusion
Heartworm disease is a serious, progressive condition. For this reason, it is important to detect the infection early before it is too late. When a dog is infected with heartworms, there are few early signs of disease, so noticing the symptoms early and consulting with a vet is very important.
Again, to answer the question, “what to do if there are heartworms in your dog’s vomit?” it is unlikely to be heartworms. Heartworms cause more internal damage and are rarely detected in dogs. The worms in your dogs’ vomit are most probably ringworm or tapeworm, and these require a completely different treatment. If your dog vomits, take it to the vet as soon as possible. Hopefully, this article shed light on heartworms in dogs, and you were able to learn more about it. Good luck!
