Having a dog is a life time treasuring affair, but on the other hand being a parent to dog be no easy! There are different types of small and big diseases that you always have to be aware of to have a fit and healthy dog.

One of the dangerous diseases that are growing in the dog family day-by-day is ‘heartworm disease’ and thereby availing preventive heartworm medicine for dogs is quite vital to keep them safe. This disease is like a silent killer that often gets detected in a later stage when the situation becomes difficult to handle. This disease starts with the carrier – mosquito and ends with long expensive treatment or death.

The symptoms of heartworm infection can take months to appear, but in the following are a description of common signs that points your dog is affected by heartworm disease.

1. Dry-Soft Cough

The tale of the diseases starts with the carrier mosquito, which transfers the parasites inside a dog that eventually multiply and lead to severe issues. While in the maturing stage, the parasites make their way to the lungs and starts develop and producing in the lungs and in due course surround the veins. In the initial period, you may notice coughing after exercise sessions that may end with fainting. Never overlook such cases!

2. Anorexia or Weight Loss

In cases of heartworm disease, you can see that minor physical activities like eating and walking become a difficult in dog’s case and it ends up with exhausting chores. Do not let go these incidences and always keep a track of their weight.

3. Lethargy or Inactiveness

When you notice that your  little companion seem tired more often, doesn’t seem interest to go out for play, or starts avoiding all types of physical activities, also the favorite ones. It is all because may be your bundle of joy is infected with heartworm parasite and finds it hard to behave active even when performing small tasks.

4. Difficulty in Breathing

As the worms keep on growing inside the body, the symptoms can become more severe with time. With coughing, breathing problems also occurs when the heartworms starts multiplying inside the lungs and surround the veins. The disease can increase the fluid build around the blood vessels of lungs, which make breathing difficult for the pet and also hamper the process of lungs that oxygenate the blood.

5. Allergic reaction

If you are cat person, you may know cats are more prone to allergic reaction than the dog. But if your dog is getting allergic reaction or asthmatic symptoms, then it’s no play time it may be due to the growth of heartworms offspring inside the body of the mammal. Take your dog to vet and ask for heartworm medicine for dogs if after examination the results are positive!

6. Bulging chest

When you experience some change in your dog like the chest gains to bulge out and ribs seem to protrude, it must be a result of adult heartworm infection. This may be due to anorexia weight loss caused by heartworms. It can be also due to excess fluid build-up due to the parasite’s presence.

7. Collapse

This stage is called as vena cava or caval syndrome, where the multitude of heartworms attacks the heart and cause blockage in the flow of blood. Collapse is mostly accompanied by red blood cell destruction and shock. If the case becomes extreme, fatal result can be seen within some days.

Other possible symptoms are:

•     Lameness

•       Seizures & Nosebleeds

•      Excessive sleeping

•       Secondary pneumonia

•       Increased blood pressure

•      Blindness

If you are in love with your dog, never avoid their healthy issues and be very cautious about all their medicines such as tapeworm medicine, whip worm medicine and heartworm medicine for dogs. Just don’t be an owner of a dog rather be a guardian, which they have been through their life to you!