Treating Huskies with Heartworm Disease

For many Husky parents, by the time their cherished canine companion is diagnosed with heartworm disease, it’s already advanced. In other words, the heartworms have been present in his body long enough to cause extensive damage to his heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, and liver.

To combat the disease, your Husky will first receive a drug that kills the heartworm larvae or microfilariae and may remain in the hospital for observation on the day that the drug is administered. Prednisone (Deltasone®, Meticorten®), a corticosteroid is often used to minimize complications from dying microfilariae or heartworms. (Dogs with severe heartworm disease may require antibiotics, pain relief medications, special diets, diuretics to remove fluid accumulation in the lungs, and/or drugs to improve heart function BEFORE beginning treatment for the heartworms).

He may also be treated with the antibiotic doxycycline (Vibramycin®, Vibra-Tabs®) to combat any potential infection before receiving an injection of melarsomine (Immiticide®), the drug designed to kill the adult heartworms in his heart and adjacent vessels. Because this drug is administered in a series of injections, your vet will determine the specific injection schedule according to your Husky’s condition. Most dogs receive an initial injection, followed by 30 days of rest, and then two more injections given 24 hours apart. And since melarsomine can cause muscle pain, your Husky may receive pain medication as well.

During treatment, complete rest is essential! Why?  Because the adult worms begin dying and decomposing within days and are carried to the lungs where they lodge in the small blood vessels before eventually being reabsorbed by your Husky’s body. This process can take from several weeks to several months, and most complications, should they occur, are caused by these fragments of dead heartworms. Therefore, your dog must NOT be permitted to exercise until one month after the treatment’s last injection.

While rare, prompt treatment is essential if your Husky has a significant reaction in the weeks following his initial injection. Contact your vet if he has no appetite, suffers from shortness of breath, has a severe cough, is coughing up blood, has a fever, or seems depressed. Treatment, including anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, intravenous fluids, cage rest, and supportive care are usually effective in such cases.

Your Husky will be tested for the presence of microfilariae and adult heartworms approximately one month and nine months after his last injection of melarsomine. If the result is positive, his treatment will be modified. Once the heartworms have been killed, some dogs may require lifelong treatment for heart failure. This includes diuretics, such heart medications as ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers or cardiac glycosides, and special low-sodium diets.

When your dog has been treated successfully, it’s essential to begin a heartworm prevention program to avoid any future recurrence. But, to keep your Husky safe from this potentially deadly disease in the first place, always use a heartworm preventive. Speak with your vet to determine which of the many heartworm-preventive products are best for your particular dog.