Canine heartworm disease is a serious and common problem in Illinois, but can be prevented easily if owners have their dogs tested and started on a prevention program in the spring.

Dr. Don Fowler, veterinarian at the Fowler Animal Hospital in Sycamore said the disease is transmitted by mosquitos that inject larvae into the dog’s blood stream when they are bitten.

Some of the disease’s symptoms include overall laziness, little, if any, tolerance to exercise and an occasional chronic cough.

The larvae develop into adult heartworms, which can grow to 14 inches long in about six months. The worms primarily live in the right chamber of the heart and in the pulmonary and large arteries, blocking the flow of blood and causing heart failure and other heart problems.

“We always find heartworm disease in this area—this year not as much as other years because there are a lot of dogs on prevention,” said Dr. Charles Paul of Paul Veterinary Hospital Ltd. Paul estimated about 98 percent of dog owners are using prevention which includes the administration of daily or monthly medication.

Dr. George Balster of Bethany Animal Hospital, Sycamore, said the cost of the preventative medicine depends on the type of medicine, chewable, nonchewable, or liquid; whether it is used daily or monthly and the size and weight of the dog. The cost ranges from about $10 to $40. Costs for treatment including blood tests and hospitalization range from about $175 to $300.

According to a press release from the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, a blood test is given to see if the parasite is present. If a parasite is present, preventative medicine could cause serious side effects, the release states.

Infected dogs are treated with an intravenous arsenic compound that is injected every 12 hours during a 48-hour period, Fowler said.

It takes about six weeks for the worms to disintegrate inside the vascualar system after they die from the arsenic compound, Fowler said. Portions of the worm can obstruct blood vessels and might become lodged in the lungs and other organs, he said.