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Cases of heartworms in dogs could be on the rise in the Longview area, and the leader of the city性视界传媒檚 animal shelter hopes pet owners will take steps to protect their pups.

The Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center took in 110 dogs with heartworms through May, and the shelter is on track to take in as many or more heartworm-positive dogs as it has in previous years, said Jenna George, the executive director of animal services for the city. The shelter took in 267 heartworm-positive dogs in 2023 and 236 in 2024.

性视界传媒淗eartworm disease isn性视界传媒檛 an end-all, be-all for dogs,性视界传媒� George said. 性视界传媒淚t can be treated, but it性视界传媒檚 also easily preventable.性视界传媒�

Heartworm disease occurs when parasitic worms grow and reproduce in a dog性视界传媒檚 heart. Mosquitoes transmit the larvae into a dog, where they grow and reproduce. Mosquitoes thrive in hot, humid environments 性视界传媒� especially East Texas 性视界传媒� increasing the chance for dogs to become infected, said Dr. Loren Kempf, the animal shelter性视界传媒檚 veterinarian.

As heartworms grow, they affect a dog性视界传媒檚 blood flow and result in congestive heart failure, which ultimately leads to death if left untreated.

Dogs with heartworms might not always show symptoms, but some symptoms include difficulty breathing, fast breathing, coughing, weakness, tiredness with exercise, collapsing or fainting, weight loss, red urine and a swollen abdomen, according to the . Veterinarians administer a test to determine if a dog has heartworms.

Dogs with heartworms can recover if they性视界传媒檙e treated properly, but some experience lifelong health effects, George said.

While treatment is an option, it can be expensive. The best thing for pet owners to do is to give their dogs regular, year-round heartworm prevention, which is generally inexpensive, George said. One of the most common heartworm prevention medications is a chewable tablet containing medicine that de-worms the dog. Medication can be purchased at stores and at veterinary clinics, and prices vary.

The serving East Texas offers monthly heartworm prevention medication for $8 per month for small dogs and $10 per month for large dogs. Pet owners seeking medication from the organization will need to pay $20 for a yearly heartworm test for their dog before purchasing medication. The organization is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1604 Texas 31.

Dogs that have or have had heartworms are less likely to be adopted because people might not feel comfortable caring for them, George said. Dogs that are heartworm-positive generally stay in the shelter longer, too.

Shelter staffers give adoptive pet owners a three-month supply of heartworm prevention medication to help their new furry friends when they性视界传媒檙e adopted. Just because a dog had or has heartworms doesn性视界传媒檛 mean it won性视界传媒檛 be a wonderful pet.

性视界传媒淲e性视界传媒檙e giving people the opportunity to take home these dogs that they thought was sort of impossible in the beginning,性视界传媒� Kempf said.

The more pet owners who keep their dogs healthy, the healthier other dogs will be, too: 性视界传媒淚f we have a lot of heartworm-positive dogs in our community, and we have a lot of dogs that are not on prevention, it can make it a little bit easier for that mosquito to draw its blood meal, fly around somewhere else, land on someone else性视界传媒檚 dog that is outside and then potentially spread those heart worms that way,性视界传媒� George said.

For dogs that do have heartworms and need treatment, some organizations provide lower-cost care. The Texas Foundation for Animal Care in Fort Worth provides heartworm treatment ranging from $350 for small dogs to $650 for large dogs 性视界传媒� significantly less than what some veterinary clinics charge. Emancipet, which has locations in Texas, ranging between $225 and $495.

性视界传媒淲e encourage everyone to get their animals on preventative, do heartworm tests,性视界传媒� George said. 性视界传媒淚t is something very, very simple that can help your animal性视界传媒檚 health and save you a lot of money in the long run. And it is part of being a responsible pet owner.性视界传媒�