# adopting a heartworm positive dog



## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

Hi,
Is it a big deal to adopt a dog that is being treated for heartworm? There's two dogs that are both appealing to us, just that one of them has heartworm...so I'm not sure. Is there future expenses that might come from a dog that once had heartworm?

Do dogs act more calm when they're being treated for heartworm? Just wondering if the dog would act differently after it's off the heartworm meds.

Thanks.


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## s2thalayer (Jul 7, 2010)

dogclass said:


> Hi,
> Is it a big deal to adopt a dog that is being treated for heartworm? There's two dogs that are both appealing to us, just that one of them has heartworm...so I'm not sure. Is there future expenses that might come from a dog that once had heartworm?
> 
> Do dogs act more calm when they're being treated for heartworm? Just wondering if the dog would act differently after it's off the heartworm meds.
> ...


Im not a vet, and ive never had a full grown dog get heartworm (cause i treat them), but my current retriever had heartworm problems at a young age. He was an "accident" puppy by some people who probably shouldnt even have dogs in the first place. He was about 9 weeks old when we got him and hadnt had any shots yet. So he had heartworm, but we put him on meds and got rid of them in about 2 months. The meds werent what i call cheap, but they werent outrageous either. I think i got two perscriptions. However, we stopped heartworm early. It doesnt appear to have any side effects and is a very healthy dog. i dont know how severe or far along your dog's parasite is. It all depends, because heartworm attacks the organs, and can cause serious damage if left alone too long. It can also be fatal. So i doubt anyone here can really help you with this, its really something your vet needs to look at. I wouldnt really sweat it though, i doubt its that far along.


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## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

Oh, so I should ask how severe the heartworm infestation is. Ok, I'll try to see if they know. Thanks.


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## s2thalayer (Jul 7, 2010)

dogclass said:


> Oh, so I should ask how severe the heartworm infestation is. Ok, I'll try to see if they know. Thanks.


That's what i would do. Just ask if they think he will suffer from any long term effects. He really should be fine, if they have him on meds i would think that itll be gone very soon...but like i said...its a parasite so it all depends how much they have multiplied...and how ridiculously careless his/her former owner was.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

My sister adopted a heart worm positive dog (age 2). They did the treatment with cage rest etc.

The dog is now 13 going on 14.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

s2thalayer said:


> Im not a vet, and ive never had a full grown dog get heartworm (cause i treat them), but my current retriever had heartworm problems at a young age. He was an "accident" puppy by some people who probably shouldnt even have dogs in the first place. He was about 9 weeks old when we got him and hadnt had any shots yet. So he had heartworm, but we put him on meds and got rid of them in about 2 months. The meds werent what i call cheap, but they werent outrageous either. I think i got two perscriptions.


Are you sure it was heartworms? It takes 6 months for heartworms to grow to maturity, so it's basically impossible for a 9-week-old puppy to test positive for heartworms. Do you remember the names of the meds he got? Heartworm treatment is long-term and you'd have to keep him confined. Pills won't get rid of them; the most effective treatment is a series of injections.

Anyway, if a dog has had heartworms for a long time, it can cause heart damage. If it hasn't been too long, hopefully there's not too much damage. The treatment shouldn't make the dog less active, but if the heartworms are impeding normal heart function, that could affect a dog's activity level.


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## s2thalayer (Jul 7, 2010)

Willowy said:


> Are you sure it was heartworms? It takes 6 months for heartworms to grow to maturity, so it's basically impossible for a 9-week-old puppy to test positive for heartworms. Do you remember the names of the meds he got? Heartworm treatment is long-term and you'd have to keep him confined. Pills won't get rid of them; the most effective treatment is a series of injections.
> 
> Anyway, if a dog has had heartworms for a long time, it can cause heart damage. If it hasn't been too long, hopefully there's not too much damage. The treatment shouldn't make the dog less active, but if the heartworms are impeding normal heart function, that could affect a dog's activity level.


well, i only know what my vet told me. Whether she told me something to simplify what it really was or whatever, she gave me some medication, i gave it to him. Like i said, im no vet, but thats what they told me.


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## Milo23 (Feb 10, 2011)

I heard that the treatment is very very very expensive... my friend knows someone who's dog had/has heartworms and she had to split the costs on two credit cards because the bill was huge... I don't know how many treatments a dog needs but that's all I can say. I hope that helped.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

Most rescues won't adopt out until after they finish treatment. How old is the dog? That could also change what type of treatment and how long it will be. The way our vet does it is that most younger dogs will have an injection...it requires a minimum of 2 treatments given with 30 days in between. Then they will need to be tested again in 6 months to make sure that it's all cleared up. Older dogs will get a "soft" treatment that takes longer, but is easier on the dog. 

Sometimes it doesn't go away with one treatment, so you could expect to pay more to treat it again...but then sometimes it clears up just fine.

Do they act differently? Sometimes. Some dog don't even seem to notice that they are going through treatment, and others act like they are in a lot of pain. It's different from dog to dog. Usually you'll notice sensitivity in the back and sides (so they might cry out if handled too roughly). 

It's important that the dog is kept calm as much as possible, but that doesn't mean the dog understands that.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

If the dog doesn't have any damage to their heart yet (ie severe case), then you should be ok after treatment. But keeping the dog quiet (as in crate most of the time except to potty), while treated is really, really important. If the dog gets exercise, a blood clot can break off, causing major damage or death. Lots of chew toys, stuffed, frozen Kongs etc can help.

Ask your vet about slow kill vs fast kill treatments, and if the dog is a candidate for the slow kill method. There are pros and cons to each. 

Personally, I'd probably take the heartworm positive dog, because he will have a harder time getting adopted, and I'm a sucker for an animal in need.


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