When you’re adopting a rescue dog, you might come across stories of pups who were once “heartworm positive.” It can sound a little scary at first, but with the right care and understanding, it’s not as intimidating as it seems. Let’s break down what it means, how Doodle Dandy Rescue helps, and what you can do to keep your furry friends safe.
What Is Heartworm?
Heartworm disease is caused by parasitic worms that live in the heart and lungs of infected dogs. It spreads through mosquito bites — just one bite from an infected mosquito can pass the larvae to your dog. Over time, those larvae grow into worms that can cause serious damage to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels if left untreated. Treatment is possible, but it’s expensive and takes time. The process usually involves multiple vet visits, medications, and strict rest. Depending on the severity, treatment can cost $1,000 to $2,000 or more. That’s why prevention is so important — and thankfully, monthly preventatives are both affordable and effective!
Heartworm and Rescue Dogs
Sadly, heartworm is common among rescue dogs, especially those who didn’t receive regular preventatives before coming to us. At Doodle Dandy Rescue, we sometimes welcome dogs who test positive for heartworms — and every single one receives the full treatment and care they need to return to health before they’re available for adoption. This is only possible thanks to our amazing volunteers, fosters, and donors. Your generosity gives these dogs a second chance at life — one filled with love, zoomies, and endless tail wags.
Meet Jagger, one of our heartworm-positive success stories! Jagger came to Doodle Dandy Rescue heartworm positive and unsure of his future. Thanks to the care of his foster family and our dedicated volunteers, he completed his treatment and made a full recovery. Today, Jagger is living his best life in his forever home — happy, healthy, and heartworm-free. His story is just one of many made possible by our supporters!
Adopting a Dog Who’s Undergone Heartworm Treatment
If you adopt a dog who has completed heartworm treatment, congratulations! You’re welcoming a pup who’s already overcome a big challenge and is ready for a fresh start. Once treatment is finished, dogs can go on to live long, happy, completely normal lives. They’re every bit as loving, playful, and joyful as any other dog — and their resilience is truly inspiring. Your vet may recommend yearly heartworm testing and consistent prevention to keep your pup protected for life.
Keeping Your Healthy Dogs Safe
The best way to protect your dog is simple: Prevent → Test → Repeat! Make sure your pup has yearly wellness visits, including heartworm testing, and never skip their monthly prevention. Here in Texas, mosquitoes are a year-round problem — they don’t always take the winter off, and neither should your dog’s protection. Heartworm preventatives come as monthly pills or quarterly/annual injections at your vet’s office. Doodle Dandy Rescue requires all adopted dogs to stay on prevention for life — and for good reason. While prevention is an ongoing cost of responsible pet ownership, the expense and risk of heartworm treatment if your dog becomes infected are far greater. Prevention truly saves lives.
Tip: Low-cost vet clinics across most metro areas offer affordable testing and preventatives — a great way to keep your pup protected without breaking the bank!
How You Can Help
Every donation, foster, or volunteer hour helps heartworm-positive dogs get the treatment and love they need to heal. Your support changes lives — one doodle at a time. Together, we can keep Texas doodles healthy, happy, and heartworm-free!
Written by: Madelyn, DDR Volunteer