How Heartworm Treatment Works at Secondhand Hounds

• Treatment & Adoption

  • All treatment for heartworm positive dogs takes place at the SHH Vet Center. This is located in the same building as our office, at 5959 Baker Rd. Suite 390 Minnetonka. Because of the length of time a heartworm positive dog needs to go through treatment, our team has developed a protocol so you can still adopt this amazing dog while they are undergoing treatment!

    Adoption of heartworm positive animals undergoing treatment will be done through a “foster to adopt” (FTA) style contract, where you will take over the dog’s required heartworm treatment while it is with SHH. You essentially function as the dog’s foster, while the responsibility of their vet care still lies with Secondhand Hounds. We cover any medications, injections required to treat the heartworm disease, as well as a monthly heartworm preventative that must be given on the 1st of each month. We also cover any medical attention needed if the dog has adverse reactions to the treatment. Once the FTA agreement is signed, we do not cover vaccines, flea/tick prevention, or any medical attention needed outside of the heartworm treatment. Once the dog is 30 days after their last heartworm injection, adoption will be completed via a standard adoption contract.

    Heartworm positive dogs are eligible to have MEET AND GREETS with you while they are taking the 30 days of Doxycycline. Meet and greets can also occur in weeks 3 and 4 of their month of rest following injections. Meet and greets CANNOT occur within 2 weeks of heartworm injections. If they are pending adoption, they may not go to their new home until 2 weeks post-injections. This is not to lengthen the process or make things difficult – it’s soley for the animal’s health and safety. Thank you for understanding!

• Medications

  • Your dog will be given a medication called Doxycycline at the staging appointment. This antibiotic will prevent infection as the heartworms die off. Your dog will need to take this medication for four weeks before their injection appointment.  You will be given heartworm prevention chews (Heartgard Plus) that you need to give THE FIRST DAY OF EACH MONTH to your dog as well. This is to be sure that no “baby” worms develop during treatment and imperative for heartworm positive dogs to receive for the rest of their life!

    One of the most common questions from fosters and adopters, is: “Is heartworm disease contagious?” It is NOT contagious so your resident pets are not at risk! Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes and you need a “perfect storm” to transmit, though ALL dogs should be on year-round heartworm preventatives! Did you know that you can treat your dog with Heartgard Plus (or a comparable HW preventative) for SEVEN years for the same cost as going through heartworm treatment once?

• Appointment #1: Staging Appointment

  • The first appointment is a staging appointment, where blood and urine will be gathered and x-rays are taken to determine how progressed the disease is. This will be a drop-off appointment. If your dog needs a spay/neuter or dental, that will be scheduled through Cassie at the SHH Clinic 30 days *after* their heartworm injections are done.

• Appointment #2: Treatment/Injections (1st round)

  • The next appointment will be for the first injection of the medication that actually kills off the adult heartworms. Our vet team will schedule this appointment (and the next one) with you following your staging appointment.  The first injection will be 4 weeks after your staging appointment. The medication is injected into the lower back and can be painful for some dogs. Your dog will be given pain medications in the clinic and you will be sent home with some as well. This is a drop-off appointment and your dog will stay at the clinic for 1 night.

• Appointment #3: Treatment/Injections (2nd round)

  • The third appointment will be the second round of injections of the medication that kills off the adult heartworms. This is a drop-off appointment and your dog will stay at the clinic for 2 nights. This set of injections will be 4 weeks after the first one. They are given one injection the first day, then another one 24 hours later.

• Following Treatment

  • After injections are received, your dog will need to be kept calm for a minimum of 30 days post-treatment. It is very important for them to stay low energy so that the dying worms do not pump through veins too quickly as their heart rate raises. Some dogs are low energy in general and can just hang out on the couch during treatment. Some are more high energy and will need to be kept in their crate, mentally stimulated, or possibly sedated. This completely depends on the dog. If you have any questions about help with keeping your dog calm after heartworm treatment, please email your foster coordinator and/or speak with the veterinarian!

• Coughing/Other Symptoms Following Treatment

  • Your dog may cough a bit during treatment, which is normal as the worms die after the injections. Please note that increased stages of heartworm disease carry increased health risks after treatment. If the dog is coughing frequently, or if you see any blood, struggling to breathe, etc please email vet@secondhandhounds.org and/or call the SHH Clinic at:  952-855-8090 or the SHH Emergency Line after 4pm/on weekends at: 612-280-1496. It is ideal to program this SHH Emergency Line # into your phone at this time. This can be serious and SHH should be contacted to determine how severe the coughing/symptoms are following treatment. Make sure to note that your dog has recently been treated for heartworm disease.

• Future Heartworm Prevention

  • Dogs who have undergone heartworm treatment will need to be on monthly heartworm prevention EVERY month, year-round for life. Many people don’t do prevention in the winter in the midwest, but for dogs who have been treated this is imperative! (The American Heartworm Society also recommends ALL dogs be on year-round prevention). Click here for an example of the information provided to adopters whose dog has gone through heartworm treatment. You should also be informed you will need to take your adopted dog into their veterinarian for a repeat heartworm antigen test 6 months after the last injections to verify the dog now tests negative for heartworm disease.

    Please let me know if you have any questions.  Unfortunately, we have seen heartworm disease over and over again and are happy to help further explain the process if needed.  We truly appreciate you giving the extra TLC needed to a heartworm positive dog, and considering adoption! If you choose to move forward with the FTA (Foster to Adopt) agreement, we can move forward with scheduling the rest of the dog’s treatment with you and transferring care from their current foster.