
How much does it cost to get rid of heartworm?
The cost of heartworm treatments may range from $500 to $3,500. Usually, Immiticide price falls on $300 to $1,000. The more severe the heartworm case is, the more expensive. Fortunately, animal insurance may cover heartworm treatments.
Does Immiticide kill adult heartworms?
Jun 02, 2020 · Melarsomine treatment must be preceded by a series of diagnostic tests and treatments that may cost anywhere from an additional $100 to over $1,000. These costs will vary depending on the size of your dog, the severity of disease, and the recommendations of your veterinarian. Then, the cost of melarsomine heartworm treatment may vary from $500 to $1,500.
How much does emancipet charge for heartworm treatment?
Veterinarians and animal experts strongly urge dog and cat owners to give their pets preventative heartworm medication, which costs between $58 and $159 for a year's supply. The vet may also advise giving Heartgard to kill immature heartworms, since the initial treatment will likely only kill the adult worms.
How much does Immiticide cost for dogs?
There are two treatment protocols for the use of Immiticide®. The first option is to administer a series of two injections, 24 hours apart. The second involves three injections; the second injection should be given 30 days after the first, and the third 24 hours after the second.
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The total drug cost for the treatment ranges from roughly $550 to $1200. The majority of this cost is the Melarsomine injections. The process of treatment mainly involves 3 administrations of Melarsomine, the only currently FDA-approved drug for destroying adult heartworm parasites.

How much does Immiticide treatment cost?
How much does the heartworm shot cost?
How much does it cost to treat a dog for heartworm disease?
How many treatments does it take to get rid of heartworms in dogs?
How much does proheart 12 injection cost?
Illness/Wellness Exam: | $67.25 (WITH APPT) |
---|---|
Emergency Exam: | $98.70 |
Heartgard Plus or Proheart 6 Injection: | $58.46-$76.92 (by weight) |
Proheart 12: | $108.86-$161.53 (by weight) |
X-ray diagnostics: | $115.76 – $173.65 |
Why is heartworm treatment so expensive?
Does heartworm treatment shorten a dog's life?
How long can a dog live after being treated for heartworms?
Can dogs fully recover from heartworm?
What percentage of dogs survive heartworm treatment?
What is Immiticide treatment for heartworm?
How do I keep my dog inactive during heartworm treatment?
How much does a heartworm test cost for dogs?
A heartworm test may range from approximately $35 to $75. 2.
When does heartworm treatment begin?
Treatment generally begins the first day after a positive diagnosis of heartworm disease.
What is the final stage of heartworm treatment?
5. Final Treatment Stages. The final stages of heartworm treatment serve to kill the adult heartworms. This “adulticide” treatment generally involves three injections of melarsomine, the medication that is the mainstay of heartworm treatment. On days 60, 90, and 91 of the treatment process, an injection of melarsomine is administered deep into ...
How much does a melarsomine injection cost?
A series of melarsomine injections may cost anywhere from approximately $500 to $1,500, depending on the weight of your dog.
How many pets are heartworm positive?
Heartworm prevention has become a standard of preventive care for pets in the United States. However, more than 1 million pets in the US are believed to be heartworm positive, and that number is growing. Although some parts of the country are more severely affected than others, heartworm disease has been diagnosed in all 50 states.
What tests are done to confirm a dog has heartworm?
Once a dog has been fully confirmed as being positive for heartworm disease, additional tests such as chest x-rays, and sometimes, echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart), are done to stage the severity of disease.
Why do veterinarians stage heartworms?
Staging helps the veterinarian assess the level of damage that has already been done by the heartworms, as well as determine specific treatment and post-treatment regimens.
How much does it cost to treat heartworm in dogs?
The cost of treating dogs with heartworm usually runs around $1,000, but can be $500-$1,100 or more depending on the size of the dog and the stage of the disease. For cats, there is no known treatment for heartworm. However, cats seem to be more resistant to heartworm and, if infected, they sometimes recover on their own.
How many injections are needed for heartworms in dogs?
Treating the pet involves two to three injections. The main drug used is Melarsomine (brand name Immiticide). There is some risk involved in treating dogs with heartworms, although fatalities are rare. Suite101.com discusses the treatment options and risks [ 2] .
How much does heartgard cost for dogs?
Veterinarians and animal experts strongly urge dog and cat owners to give their pets preventative heartworm medication, which costs between $58 and $159 for a year's supply . The vet may also advise giving Heartgard to kill immature heartworms, since the initial treatment will likely only kill the adult worms.
What are the symptoms of heartworm in dogs?
What should be included: Heartworm symptoms include chronic coughing, tiring easily, unwillingness to exercise, difficulty breathing, lethargy and an enlarged abdomen. Treating heartworm in dogs is a lengthy and pricey process, and can be taxing on the dog's health.
How long does it take for a dog to test positive for heartworm?
When our dog was first tested for heartworm he was negative. A year or so later, he tested positive. The vet explained it could take 7 months for the heartworm to incubate and show up positive on the test. I took him to a new vet in hopes that the first place was wrong but he tested positive again.
How long does it take for a dog to clear heartworms?
After much prayer, we gave him doxycycline and keep him on heartworm preventative. It will take up to 2 yrs for it to clear.
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How long after heartworm injection should dogs be monitored?
All patients should be closely monitored during treatment and for up to 24 hours after the last injection.
What is IMMITICIDE powder used for?
IMMITICIDE Sterile Powder is indicated for the treatment of stabilized Class 1 a, 2 b, and 3 c heartworm disease caused by immature (4 month-old, stage L 5) to mature adult infections of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs.
How much active ingredient is in a vial of sterile water?
1 vial: when reconstituted with 2 mL of sterile water for injection (provided) contains 25 mg/mL of active ingredient.
How long does it take for a dog to die from a syringe?
The signs exhibited by these dogs, in addition to the signs described above, included collapse, severe salivation, vomiting, respiratory distress, cyanosis, stupor, and death within 4 hours of the first dose in two dogs and within 20 hours of the second dose in one dog.
Can dogs die from heartworms?
General: All dogs with heartworm disease are at risk for post-treatment pulmonary thromboembolism (death of worms which may result in fever, weakness, and coughing), though dogs with severe pulmonary arterial disease have an increased risk and may exhibit more severe signs (dyspnea, hemoptysis, right heart failure and possibly death). Dogs should be restricted from light to heavy exercise post-treatment depending on the severity of their heartworm disease.
Is heartworm disease fatal?
As a general rule, conservative treatment should be employed since heartworm disease is serious and potentially fatal. If there is evidence of a high worm burden, patients should be categorized as Class 3. a Class 1: Patients in this category are characterized as having asymptomatic to mild heartworm disease.
Where to inject imidicide?
IMMITICIDE® should be administered by deep intramuscular injection in the lumbar (epaxial) muscles (L3 - L5) ONLY.
How many injections of immiticide are there?
There are two treatment protocols for the use of Immiticide®. The first option is to administer a series of two injections, 24 hours apart. The second involves three injections; the second injection should be given 30 days after the first, and the third 24 hours after the second.
What is the best medicine for heartworm in dogs?
Treatment Options for Canine Heartworm. Merial's Immiticide®, which contains the drug melarsomine, is the only medication currently labeled for the treatment of adult heartworms in dogs. Melarsomine is an arsenic-based compound that's injected into your dog's lumbar muscle.
Does Melarsomine kill heartworms?
This complication is serious and is treated with strict restriction of movement. Of course, there also remains the chance that melarsomine treatment won't kill all adult heartworms, leading to later reinfection.
Does ivermectin kill larvae?
Ivermectin Will Kill Larvae, Not Adult Heartworms. Some dogs may not be good candidates for treatment with melarsomine. These dogs can be placed on a monthly dose of ivermectin-based heartworm preventative medicine.
Can melarsomine poison dogs?
Because melarsomine is an arse nic-based compound, it could protentially poison your dog. One of the most common complications in treatment of canine heartworm is the damage caused to lung tissue when dead adult heartworms accumulate in the lungs.
How much does it cost to treat heartworm in dogs?
Your dog will need to continue on once-monthly heartworm throughout the treatment. These cost $20 to $50 for a six-month supply. Additionally, most veterinarians recommend a month-long course of antibiotics, usually Doxycycline, in the second month prior to the injections.
How long does it take for heartworm to kill a dog?
Heartworm is a very lethal disease that slowly kills dogs in a span of 5 years – a very slow and painful death. Curing heartworm also entails a very long and taxing process.
What happens if a dog has worms?
If any worms remain, they can quickly repopulate themselves and put the dog at risk again.
How do you know if your dog has heartworms?
As they do damage, you may see difficult breathing, exercise intolerance, unusual/long periods of lethargy, and coughing. Because of this, early diagnosis is key.
How much does it cost to treat a dog with melarsomine?
birds, squirrels, etc.). 3. Treatment. The total drug cost for the treatment ranges from roughly $550 to $1200. The majority of this cost is the Melarsomine injections.
How much does a dog blood test cost?
The cost for this blood test is $10 to $50 and most vets will do it regularly as part of a standard exam.
How long do you have to be on a dog after a worm shot?
Most vets recommend keeping activity levels restricted for at least 12 weeks following the first injection.
How much does a heartworm treatment cost?
At Low Cost Pet Vet, our affordable heartworm treatment runs from about $400 – $800 (with no complications). Treatment consists of a three-dose regimen of melarsomine to kill off the adult heartworms.
How long does it take to get heartworm treatment?
Our Affordable Heartworm Treatment Plan. Heartworm treatment takes approximately 7 – 8 months. Treatment involves several phases to kill all stages of the heartworms safely. It is very important to follow these steps to prevent having to undergo heartworm treatment more than once.
How do heartworms cause heart disease?
Heartworms cause heartworm disease by clogging the heart and major blood vessels. They damage delicate lung and heart tissue, and eventually the host dies of heart failure. Once done, tissue damage can’t be reversed. Our goal is to treat heartworms as quickly as possible to minimize damage and give your pet a full and heartworm-free life.
How to treat heartworms in dogs?
Treat your dog for heartworms using a multi-stage treatment plan. Get your dog on preventative to stop the problem from getting worse. Immediately limit all your pet’s exercise and activity to limit tissue damage done by worms rapidly moving in your pet’s heart.
Why is it important to treat heartworms in dogs?
With heartworm disease, quick treatment is crucial to prevent irreversible tissue damage. The longer your dog has heartworms, the more complications with treatment and the greater damage is done to your pet’s heart and lungs.
What is the best medicine for heartworms in dogs?
We will administer the first dose of melarsomine, which is the only FDA approved drug to kill adult heartworms.The first week after this treatment it’s critical to closely monitor the dog, as this is the stage where the adult worms are actually dying. Complete rest is essential for recovery.
What to do if your dog has heartworm?
The best thing you can do for your dog once you know they’ve tested positive is to take them to a veterinarian for affordable heartworm treatment . Dogs with no signs or mild signs of heartworm disease have a very high success rate with treatment.
Heartworm Basics: What It Is and How Dogs Get It
Heartworms are exactly what they sound like, worms that live in the heart and blood vessels of dogs and other mammals. When an uninfected mosquito takes a blood meal from a dog infected with heartworms, that mosquito will take up heartworm larvae.
Diagnosing Heartworm Disease in Dogs
Heartworm disease is initially diagnosed with a blood test. Since treatment can be costly and risky, most vets will send out a blood sample for confirmation tests. Once a heartworm infection is confirmed with additional blood testing, the vet will want to stage the heartworm disease.
Treating Heartworm Disease in Dogs
The American Heartworm Society recommends treating heartworm disease in dogs using melarsomine ( Immiticide or Diroban) injections to kill the adult worms. This is known as adulticide therapy. For rare pets with health conditions that make adulticide therapy risky, the veterinarian may recommend ivermectin to kill the worms gradually over time.
Prevention Truly is the Best Medicine
Heartworm disease can be treatable, but that does not mean it's easy and safe to treat. Preventing heartworm disease is still the best therapy out there. Today, there are a variety of heartworm prevention products on the market.
How long does it take for a dog to get heartworm treatment?
With minor variations, treatment of heartworm disease typically takes 2-5 months to complete. The most important thing you can do during the treatment is to restrict your dog’s physical activity to a bare minimum of short leash walks for bodily functions (urinat-ing, defecating) only.
How long after heartworm injection can you run?
There is no reason to allow running, jumping, or other physical activity at any time for 8 weeks after the start of the injectable heartworm adulticide treatment. All physical exertion must be stopped beginning the day of the first injection, 24 hours a day, for the full 8-week period, to reduce the risk of serious (life-threatening) heartworm-related problems.
Is heartworm a disease?
It is caused by Dirofilaria immitis, a worm that resides in the cir-culation (heart and lungs) of dogs and cats and is transmitted from animal to animal by mosqui toes.

Warning
- IMMITICIDE® should be administered by deep intramuscular injection in the lumbar (epaxial) muscles (L3 - L5) ONLY. DO NOT USE IN ANY OTHER MUSCLE GROUP. DO NOT USE INTRAVENOUSLY. Care should be taken to avoid superficial injection or leakage. (See SAFETY)
Active Ingredient
- IMMITICIDE Sterile Powder contains 50.0 mg melarsomine dihydrochloride and 33.75 mg glycine USP. 1 vial: when reconstituted with 2 mL of sterile water for injection (provided) contains 25 mg/mL of active ingredient.
Pharmacology
- Melarsomine dihydrochloride is an organic arsenical chemotherapeutic agent. Melarsomine has a molecular weight of 501.34 and is chemically designated as 4 - [(4, 6-diamino-1, 3, 5- triazon-2-yl) amino] phenyl-dithioarsenite of di (2-aminoethyl), dihydrochloride. It is freely soluble in water. When injected intramuscularly, it is rapidly absorbed. The exact mode of action on D. immitisis u…
Immiticide Indications
- IMMITICIDE Sterile Powder is indicated for the treatment of stabilized Class 1a, 2b, and 3c heartworm disease caused by immature (4 month-old, stage L5) to mature adult infections of Dirofilaria immitisin dogs. Heartworm Disease Classification:The following parameters were used to classify the dogs in the clinical field trials for IMMITICIDE. Other parameters may be consider…
Contraindications
- IMMITICIDE is contraindicated in dogs with very severe (Class 4) heartworm disease. Patients in this category have Caval Syndrome (D. immitispresent in the venae cavae and right atrium).
Warnings
- (See above Warning.)For use in dogs only. Safety for use in breeding animals and lactating or pregnant bitches has not been determined.
Human Warnings
- Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children.Avoid human exposure. Wash hands thoroughly after use or wear gloves. Potentially irritating to eyes. Rinse eyes with copious amounts of water if exposed. Consult a physician in cases of accidental exposure by any route (dermal, oral, or by injection). The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) contains more detailed oc…
Precautions
- General:All dogs with heartworm disease are at risk for post-treatment pulmonary thromboembolism (death of worms which may result in fever, weakness, and coughing), though dogs with severe pulmonary arterial disease have an increased risk and may exhibit more severe signs (dyspnea, hemoptysis, right heart failure and possibly death). Dogs should be restricted fr…
Safety
- IMMITICIDE has a low margin of safety. A single dose of 7.5 mg/kg (3X the recommended dose) can result in pulmonary inflammation, edema, and death. Daily administration of 2X and 3X the recommended dose for 6 days caused no renal injury; however, daily administration of these doses for 14 days caused renal damage in healthy dogs. Adverse reactions, primarily at the injec…
Adverse Reactions
- Injection Sites: At the recommended dosage in clinical field trials, significant irritation was observed at the intramuscular injection sites, accompanied by pain, swelling, tenderness, and reluctance to move. Approximately 30% of treated dogs experienced some kind of reaction at the injection site(s). Though injection site reactions were generally mild to moderate in severity and …