Heart Worms in Dogs

Dogs are one of the pets that have a very close relationship with humans. Keeping dogs is one of the hobbies that many people do, in addition keeping other animals such as cats, birds, and other animals. By some people, keeping a dog is not only a hobby but has become a pride and is also considered capable of improving social status for its owner.

In its care, as with other animals, dogs are also not free from disease. One disease that can cause problems in dogs is a disease caused by heart worms.

Heart worm disease in dogs is caused by Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis). The worm is called a heart worm because it lives in the heart, namely the right ventricle and pulmonary artery. In addition to dogs, D. immitis worms can also infect cats, wolves, foxes, coyotes, ferrets, water rats, sea lions, coatimundi, and orangutans.

D. immitis is a nematode that is long, slim body shape, and white color. If observed in passing, the heart worm has a shape like vermicelli.

D. immitis in the right ventricle and pulmonary artery

Since 1847 the existence of heart worms that live in dogs has been reported in America. Its presence in Indonesia was reported by Iskandar et al in 1998. Endemic infections of D. immitis worm occurred in the USA, Canada, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and southern Europe. Currently heart worms are reported to have been distributed in various countries.

D. immitis worm can be transmitted from one dog to another or to other animals by more than 60 species of mosquitoes, but among these 60 species, important mosquitoes that can act as intermediate host less than 12 species. Adult female worms after mating will produce microfilariae which are released into the circulatory system. The microfilariae can be absorbed by mosquitoes when they bite dogs that suffer from heart worm disease. Microfilariae will develop in the body of mosquitoes into larvae. When mosquitoes that contain larvae suck the blood of dogs or other susceptible animals, the larvae will move to the animal. The larvae in the dog's body will develop and migrate into the body's tissues to the pulmonary arteries and develop into adult worms.

Clinical signs caused by heart worms from mild to fatal symptoms. Mild clinical signs can be fatigue when animals are given exercise, while the fatal consequences that can be caused is congestive heart failure. Most cases of infection by heart worms do not show clear clinical signs. Circulatory disorders that are chronic and ultimately fatal can occur if the dog is infected by large heart worms in large numbers.

To determine whether a dog is infected with heart worms can be examined by various methods, including examining blood samples, blood sample concentration techniques, and Knott's test to check for the presence of microfilaria in the circulatory system. But infection can occur without the presence of microfilaria in the blood. This condition is very difficult to diagnose by microscopic blood examination. To overcome these difficulties diagnostic methods have been developed by detecting antibodies.

Treatment of dogs infected with heart worms is very difficult and requires large costs. Therefore, what needs to get priority is prevention. Puppies should be given preventative medicine as early as possible. Some drugs can cut the life cycle of worm larvae after infection, so they can be used to prevent heartworm disease.