What can I expect from my dog’s veterinary visit?

It will be an in-depth consultation, where we explain everything and every step of the procedure. We'll get your pet on a heartworm preventative to kill the larval stage of that heartworm, the microfilaria, and then walk you through. It's generally about a six-month process from start to finish. That doesn't mean that your dog will be in the clinic every day for six months straight, but it is a lengthy process to get those heartworms treated.

During the heartworm treatment process, your dog will be placed on a safe preventative medication and an antibiotic (usually doxycycline) to weaken the heartworms. After two months, your dog will receive an injection of melarsamine to kill the adult heartworms and will need to stay at the clinic for monitoring and exercise restriction. The dog will then go home for three weeks of exercise restriction before returning for two more injections 24 hours apart. The dog will stay at the clinic again for monitoring and exercise restriction before finally going home for another three weeks of confinement. The treatment process typically takes about four months.

If your dog tests positive for heartworms, the veterinarian will discuss doing chest x-rays and putting the dog on medications. They will also talk about heartworm treatment options. In some cases, they may recommend you to see a cardiologist before starting the heartworm treatment.