Heartworm disease can be detrimental to your dog’s health, which is why it is important to recognize and understand the symptoms early and receive an early diagnosis to avoid severe damage. Heartworm is hard to detect early on, since most dogs won’t show many symptoms during the maturing process. Therefore, you should keep an eye out for any sign of bug bites or mosquito bites and remember that even indoor dogs can be infected. You should also talk to your veterinarian about heartworm prevention medication.  

The severity of the symptoms of heartworm disease is directly connected to the amount of worm burden your dog carries. Most dogs will display a lack of energy and coughing in the early stages, that can then progress to coughing bloody mucus and experiencing chest pains. 

What Are the Stages of Heartworm Disease? 

There are 4 stages of heartworm disease, dogs with higher burden of worms will be categorized higher and will showcase more symptoms. 

• Stage 1: Early days of infection, dogs will display no symptoms or mild symptoms, such as coughing and lack of energy. 

• Stage 2: Like stage 1, but cough will be more frequent, and dogs will display tiredness after moderate activity. 

• Stage 3: Dogs will display more severe symptoms such as sickly appearance, persistent cough, and exhaustion after mild activity. Trouble breathing and signs of heart failure are also common on this stage.

• Stage 4: In this stage, your dog’s heart is compromised by a large mass of worms that block the blood flow back to the heart. This syndrome, known as caval syndrome, is life threatening and must be treated with surgery. Unfortunately, this surgery is very risky and may not be enough to save the dog’s life. 

Keep in mind that not all dogs with heartworm disease will develop caval syndrome. However, if left untreated, heartworm disease can progress and damage your dog’s heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs. Call your veterinarian today to get your dog tested and discuss options for heartworm prevention.