- Hours:
- Mon: 9A - 9P
- Tue-Fri: 9A - 10P
- Sat: 9A - 2P
- Sun: Closed
Our goal at the Animal Hospital of Streamwood is to help your pet stay healthy, help heal your pet when it is sick or injured, and to ease your pet's pain when it is hurting.
We will do this with quality care, compassion and tenderness.
About Heartworm
Heartworm is a parasite that can be deadly to dogs. According to a study by Merial, nearly 250,000 dogs tested positive for heartworms in 2001. Treatment is expensive, and stressful, but prevention is straightforward and painless.
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites an infected dog (or coyote or fox or other infected animal) it can ingest the larvae of the heartworm. When that mosquito bites another dog, it can leave the larvae behind, where they are likely to grow and multiply. It is several months after that mosquito bite before the infection will show up in a blood test.
Heartworms can be Deadly
Heartworms live in a dog's heart and the blood vessels in the lungs. Adult heartworms range from four to 12 inches in length and an infected dog can have many dozens of them at a time. Problems arise when the worms interfere with blood flow and the operation of the lungs and the valves in the heart.
If left untreated, an infected dog may develop a cough and difficulty breathing. Exercise will be particularly taxing with the heart and lungs partially disabled, so the dog may become lethargic and avoid unnecessary movement. As the worms multiply and grow, the heart can begin to fail, often leading to death.
Treatment
As with many diseases, early diagnosis and treatment is critical. The sooner the problem is discovered, the sooner treatment can begin, and the more successful it is likely to be. Unfortunately, symptoms can take months or years to become apparent. Determining the best treatment for a particular dog requires a thorough evaluation of the severity of the infection, as well as a solid understanding of the dog's general health.
Prevention
With heartworm, prevention is the best option. It is a simple regimen of one monthly dose of Heartgard. The medicine is chewable and most dogs eat it as if it were a treat. It comes in 12-dose packages, so it's easy to keep up with as part of your dog's annual checkup.
More Information
To learn more about the preventative routine visit Heartgard.com
To learn more about heartworm, visit Heartworm Society or the University of Illinois' recent article.