You have to remember that as long as there are adult heartworms living in the heart, damage is being done. If you have the treatment, you can go ahead and reduce the damage to the heart and get him healthy.

The shots that they use now to treat adult heartworms are injections given in the hips. The shots can be painful so many vets like to knock them out and do it. After the shots are given, the adult heartworms start to break up into small segments where they are moved from the heart through the bloodstream. This is where it's important to keep him quiet.

Most dogs do really well with the treatment and, in my opinion, it is safer than letting the adults die. Giving him monthly pills keeps them from reproducing but it does not keep the adults from getting bigger and bigger until they finally die of old age.

Make sense?

Let me know if you have more questions about this.

We deal with this every day.

It can be dangerous if they develop a cough. The best way to keep them quiet is to use a crate for rest and to walk them on a leash when you take them out. There can be no free play, no ball chasing and no long walks.

Some dogs do die from heart disease following treatments but the risk is no greater than the risk that they would have if you don't treat it.

You should really discuss this with your vet. Make an appointment and write down all of your concerns and bring them up. Your vet can even test for a parasite load and tell you if he is a high positive or a low positive.

I can tell you that I have treated more than 75 dogs for heartworm disease and only lost one due to heart failure following the treatment. And he was a high positive before we started with significant damage to the heart.