HEARTWORM FACTS & PREVENTION

Heartworm is as scary as it sounds- worms that live inside hearts! Heartworm disease can kill dingoes, but thankfully it is preventable.

HOW CAN DINGOES GET HEARTWORM?
  • Mosquitoes transmit the disease to dingoes by injecting tiny heartworm larvae into their skin
  • The larvae develop in the tissues and migrate to the heart where they grow into adult worms
  • The adults live in the heart and the large blood vessels surrounding the heart
  • They reproduce and release more larval offspring into the blood stream
  • These larvae can then be taken by a mosquito and transmitted to another animal

SYMPTOMS OF HEARTWORM DISEASE
Due to the stress that adult worms have on a dingo's heart, there are often clinical signs of heart disease or heart failure such as:
  • Lethargy
  • Tiring easily with exercise
  • Coughing
  • Loss of appetite
  • Enlarged abdomen

TESTING FOR HEARTWORM
Vets can test for heartworm in your dingo by conducting: 
  • A blood test to see if adult heartworms or their offspring are present
  • Chest radiographs and ultrasound
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TREATMENT
Heartworm can be treated, but it carries risks for your dingo and there is no guarantee of success. Your dingo may need a series of arsenic-based injections, or even surgery, to remove the adult worms from their heart. As with most of these sorts of things, prevention is better than cure.

HEARTWORM PREVENTION
Heartworm can be prevented by starting your dingo on heartworm prevention treatment from 12 weeks of age. A range of options are available including monthly chew-tablets, spot on applications and annual injections. Talk to your vet about the different heartworm prevention options available for your dingo. 
To discover the risks of heartworm, watch the video below.