Signs of Heartworm Infection in Dogs

Dogs infected with heartworm have a probability of about 15%, which is a relatively difficult disease to treat for dogs. The main symptoms of this disease are cough and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, there may be complications such as anemia, ascites, pulmonary edema, heart and lung failure, jaundice, and liver and kidney failure. Due to the different degrees of infection, dogs will have different symptoms. If owners observe these symptoms, they should take their dogs to the hospital in a timely manner, and diagnose and treat through microscopy, blood tests, etc.

1. In the early stage of heartworm infection in dogs, there are generally no noticeable signs, and at most, there may be mild cough symptoms. Owners may not pay much attention to it, or treat it as a common cold.

2. After a period of infection, the mental state of the dog will deteriorate, and gradually symptoms such as lethargy, difficulty breathing, exercise intolerance, and easy fatigue will appear. This indicates that there are already a large number of heartworms in the dog's body, and the condition is relatively severe.

3. In the late stage of heartworm infection, the heartworms living in the heart and pulmonary artery will cause complications such as anemia, ascites, pulmonary edema, heart and lung failure, jaundice, liver and kidney failure in dogs. Clinical examination can also reveal enlargement of the right ventricle or thickening of the pulmonary artery. At this point, the dog's condition is quite dangerous and needs to be sent to the hospital for treatment promptly.