I'm hoping to talk about the typical situation, and not exceptions.

In our area many/most rescued dogs have heart worms. Once heart worms are
cured, are most dogs healthy or do they have permanent damage that means future
health issues? If some do/some don't, about how often is there permanent harm?
Can a vet tell if there's permanent harm?

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 10:53:05 -0600, jim
wrote:

I'm hoping to talk about the typical situation, and not exceptions.

In our area many/most rescued dogs have heart worms. Once heart worms are
cured, are most dogs healthy or do they have permanent damage that means future
health issues? If some do/some don't, about how often is there permanent harm?
Can a vet tell if there's permanent harm?

Sheba, Chow Chow, was delivered to the shelter, at the age of five, and
she was known to be heartworm positive. Her first vet visit revealed a
"strong positive," based on a blood test and analysis of heart sounds.
The vet stated, more than once, that no additional testing was necessary
for Sheba. Treatment was uneventful, and a complete success. That was
four years ago.

From what I've read, this is typical; especially with the medicines used
today. According to a vet on alt.medicine.veterinary, and articles I
read this afternoon, it is very difficult to be sure how much organ
damage has been done--without surgery or necropsy.

Sheba seems very winded sometimes, but still enjoys short run and is
able to walk quite fast, when she chooses. Her heart and lungs always
sound good to the vet, but I still worry about her.

Four years later, and although I feel her health has been compromised,
there is no sign of any malady attributable to the heartworms or the
cure.

I hope that helps.



When I die, I want to go where dogs go!

"jim" wrote in message
news
I'm hoping to talk about the typical situation, and not exceptions.

In our area many/most rescued dogs have heart worms. Once heart worms
are
cured, are most dogs healthy or do they have permanent damage that means
future
health issues?

Typically no as the majority of hw positive cases are not at stage 3 when
caught & treated. Even dogs caught & treated with stage 3 can walk away
with no lasting effects and I've seen it happen enough to offer my opinion
that most stage 3 dogs who are treated will have successful treatment and
become healthy again. Tissue damage happens, same as it happens in adults
(more often called scar tissue) and is just normally something that is
there. Weakening of the heart and lungs due to prolonged hw disease in
stage three, particularly in senior dogs, can occur which may or may not
result in heavier panting or earlier death (but since age of death isn't
known for each individual dog how do you know if a dog died because of a
prior bout with hw disease or just because it was that dog's time?).

If some do/some don't, about how often is there permanent harm?

From my own experience in having a great many hw positive dogs treated for
hw, that of my friends in rescue and that of several veterinarians I've
spoken with, the answer is very rarely when talking of harm of an obvious
nature rather than just scar tissue.

Can a vet tell if there's permanent harm?

What kind of harm are you talking about? Permanent cardiac or lung issues?
I think a vet can diagnose a symptomatic dog and be able to attribute the
problem to a prior bout of hw disease but the dog in question would have to
be exhibiting signs of illness to give the vet something to work with. If
you're asking whether or not a vet can examine a dog known to have been
successfully treated for hw, but who is currently healthy, and tell you that
the dog will always be fine then the answer is no because anything could go
wrong with the dog later on. Overwhelmingly vets will tell you that a
successful hw treatment means that you have a healthy dog and you should do
all in your power to keep him/her that way.


--
Tara