Diagnosing Heartworms
Testing Must be Done Before Prevention or Treatment
Testing for or diagnosing heartworm can be done in three ways, two of which are blood tests and the other is simply looking for damage in the heart and lungs with an x-ray.
The common test usually done first is a test that looks for an antigen created by mature female heartworms producing microfilaria. The other blood test, which is usually done in conjunction with the antigen test, consists of treating the blood sample then looking for the actual microfilaria under a microscope.
If heartworm is diagnosed, x-rays, a complete blood count, chemistry profile, and urinalysis are evaluated to determine the impact the infection has had. If signs of heart disease are present, a complete cardiac evaluation may be required. Also, if testing shows problems with a certain organ of body system, that area will be further evaluated and treated.
Treatment will be determined by the severity of the infection. Dogs diagnosed with heartworms will be categorized into one of four stages.
Stage I: Low Risk
A young otherwise healthy dog with minimal damage shown on x-ray, and other system function test evaluate as normal.
Stage II: Moderately Affected
Damage is evident on x-ray, blood work indicates kidney or liver damage, and coughing and difficulty breathing is observed.
Stage III: Severely Affected
More sever damage is evident on x-ray, blood work indicates kidney or liver damage, weight loss has occurred, and coughing and difficulty breathing is observed.
Stage IV: Vena Cava Syndrome
In this stage the dog is dying.
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