Heartworm Positive-extreme bloating?

For a year we have been treating our korgi for heartworms- his belly has gotten very bloated- after three trips and xrays at the vet- the only thing they can do is put him on a dieretic and blood pressure lowing medication- Which neither help with the bloating- willl this eventually decrease as the adult heartworms die or is this part of his life forever- he is about 11 yrs old- by myself I can't even get him in the car he is so big- or bath him- anyone ever ran into this problem?

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on August 16, 2008 at 6:39pm

Um, bloating with heartworms? I guess it's possible. Usually we see bloating with intestinal parasites. Anyone else out there dealt with this one?

And I have to ask, how big is he? And why? Even a cardi is usually only in the neighborhood of 35 lbs.

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Permalink Reply by Sam on August 16, 2008 at 9:02pm

I would have to suspect there are other issues then the heartworms. They must be using the monthly heartworm dose for treatment. It is a slow kill method but I have not heard of the reaction you describe. I am thinking there is some sort of additional problem going on.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly on August 17, 2008 at 10:31am

He is being treated with the heartworm medicine once a month and a nurse told me thats swelling is common with congested heart failure- she was not a vet nurse but too her it seemed a common sympton- he seems fine and has been in this state alittle over a year- he does not appear to be getting worse but does look really uncomfortable-

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on August 18, 2008 at 8:17am

I didn't think about the swelling being congestive heart failure. Duh! I guess if a dog had heartworms, the heart would be congested. Okay. I feel silly now.