If you are a dog owner, there is a good chance you’ve been told about or heard about heartworm disease. It is not an easy thing to look at, especially when dealing with your beloved pet. We do everything we can to assure out dogs are healthy and happy. But sometimes, that isn’t enough.

In the aftermath of a heartworm antigen test kit coming back positive, you may find yourself feeling a little helpless. Luckily, it is possible to treat this problem. Veterinary laboratory procedures are now in place to help kill the heartworms and make your pet healthy again. If your heartworm preventative measures do not work and your dog needs treatment, here are a few things you can expect to happen.

Pre-Treatment

Before the actual treatment begins, your vet may place your dog on a series of antibiotics to battle against the heartworm antigen. These help kill bacterium given off by the heartworms when they die that could cause health problems for your dog. All medication should be given out at the proper dosages and times.

Treatment

After the period of antibiotics, it’s then time to move on to the actual procedure. The treatment lasts around 60 days. It involves injecting your pet with a series of drugs through their back, or lumbar muscles. This drug kills the worms. Your dog will need to stay in the hospital to be observed. It’s possible not all the worms will be killed the first time around, so follow-up treatments may need to be scheduled.

Recovery

Like any procedure, while following it your pet should do their best to try and rest up. Their physical activities must be greatly decreased for the time being. Consult your vet to know when your dog can resume normal exercise.

No one likes to know that their dog is sick, even less so with heartworm antigens. Despite best efforts, it still is possible for your dog to catch it. Luckily, however, it’s not the end if your dog happens to contract the disease. Treatment can be very successful for your dog with the help of a trained veterinarian and a lot of time and patience. Soon the only worms your dog will have to deal with is the ones he digs up in the backyard.