My overactive dog has heartworms and I am worried.?

Question

.My dog has recently been treated for heartworms (approximately a week ago) with a 2 part shot given at the vet (the one given 2 days back to back).

He is about 7 years old (not sure if this matters) and shares a house with a 6 year old female. They are both small dogs, rat terriers.

I have done my research online about the disease and asked the doctor a thousand questions. I know he is supposed to remain calm and not get over excited.

The thing is, my dog is extremely hyper and the following few days after getting the shot he was tired and easy to maintain, but now he is starting to feel better and I am having problems getting him to hold still. I always have him near me in my small computer room so he doesn't have much room to move around or in his carrier when I am not at home or at night, but there are times he does his best to escape so to say.

When I take him out to potty I keep him on a short leash and for the most part that works in keeping him calm, but occasionally a stray cat will catch his eye and he will try to dart after it. After being coped up inside all day (he usually stays outside in the summer, he loves the outdoors and is hating his time inside now) he can be really strong and before I can get a steady hold on him he dragged me a few feet. I know this can't be good for him and it worries me.

Also, yesterday when I got him out of his carrier to take him for a walk he darted past me pushed open the bedroom door and started running around the house like crazy for about 5 minutes before I caught him. I have been more careful since then to block the door so he can't get out, but there are other things to.

Like the door, every time someone knocks or comes in without knocking (like my finance) he darts to it and starts barking his head off. I have started keeping him in my arms or in his carrier when I know company is coming, someone is expected home or I see someone out the window, but even with him secured in a small space he still works himself up and barks his head off.

The vet told us we caught the worms early and my dog has shown no signs of even having them until recently. I noticed a day or two ago he started coughing at random times. Sometimes when he gets over excited and I don’t prevent it in time or just randomly like yesterday when he was sleeping for a good 2 hours and started coughing out of nowhere. When I was at the vent he said coughing is a symptom of heartworms, but I never noticed him cough until after the shot.

My questions are: Could the coughing be due to over activity? Shouldn’t the medication stop him from coughing not start up? Could the coughing be because the heartworm is progressing since we caught it so early he is just now showing symptoms? Do any of you have any stories or tips for handling an overactive dog who has heartworms?

And my most important question that I have is what are the signs that my dog is overdoing himself while having heartworms? Can someone point me to a website that gives details on what could happen if he overdoes himself and if he already has overdone himself what will happen to him? I can’t change the past even if I want to, I am greatly worried about the times he ran around, but there is nothing I can do about that now, I just want to make sure he didn’t harm himself and I’m not sure how to check that.

I have to admit this all came on suddenly and I wasn’t prepared with all the changes I would have to make and I am afraid I made some mistakes in handling him like letting him escape and run free all over the house and not standing firm the few times he went buzzing for a cat. I really love my dog and would do anything to keep him healthy.

Unfortunally though, keeping him at the vet’s office for the next free weeks while he heals is out of the question as room and board here is very expensive and money is tight, we had to borrow money to be able to afford the pricey shot.

Our vet is out of town for most of the coming week, so I can’t talk to him about my concerns, the only place I can go to is the emergency doctor but the drive is an hour and I don’t want to put my dog through that (they wouldn’t answer my questions over the phone) so I am turning to you guys. If anyone can answer any of my questions, I would appreciate it.

Answer 1

I think his over excitement is due to lack of exercise.  I realize that you want him to remain calm and relaxed, but as he is a hyper dog, he needs to be exercised.  An hour walk during the day will calm him down and make him tired, and as such, he will not overly exert himself.  Just because he is to remain clam does not mean that he can not go for walks.  Take him to an obedience class if you do not know how to properly control him on a walk.  Little dogs need an outlet for their energy just as much as little dogs.  By keeping him cooped up you are making him worse.  I am guessing he is coughing because he is fighting the heart worms and because he has no way of dealing with his energy.  He is very likely extremely bored.  He should be able to run around the house and go outside if he is properly trained to respect you and the environment around him.  Go to a trainer.

Answer 2

dont sweat it

Answer 3

You can only do your best.

His life is in God's hands. Your pet  knows you love him and he loves you.

Worrying won't help.

If you feel he is gasping for air get to an emergency clinic right away.

Just keep him as calm as you can.

I hope it works out well for you.

PS   The medication is killing the worms slowly. As they die they clog the heart . This makes the dog cough.  Staying quiet keeps the worms from clogging even more.

Answer 4

If his heartworm load was low, and it was caught early, there is less risk in overactivity than if the heartworm disease were advanced.  

Here is some information on the melarsomine dihydrochloride treatment, if that is what your dog received:

"In the two-dose protocol, the dog receives a second injection the next day on the opposite side of the lower back. In the three-dose protocol, the dog comes back one month later for two doses 24 hours apart (the first dose represents an introductory treatment to kill some of the more sensitive worms.) Keep in mind, too many worms dying at once creates circulatory shock.

After treatment, the patient must be strictly confined for one month following the final treatment. No walks, no running around. The dog must live the indoor life. The reason for this is that embolism to some degree is inevitable and it is important to minimize embolism-related problems. Exercise increases heart rate and oxygen demand and we need the heart to rest during this recovery period.

Watch for:

    * Coughing

    * Fever

    * Nose bleeds

If any of these occur, report them to the vet as soon as possible. The most critical time period is 7 to 10 days following a melarsomine treatment, but these signs can occur anytime in the following month."