Heartworm

[hyperbole]

Is it common to proactively give your dog heartworm pills once a month, or do you guys treat for heartworms after your dog gets it?

[kendall]

It's common to use preventitive measures. I believe medication after the dog already has heartworms is pretty expensive, but I could be wrong. You can take your dog to the vet for a test, and they can start you on the preventitive stuff. We're planning to do that for Levi before the move this summer.
Provided we get the money to. :roll: Hopefully between wedding money and if the art show goes well, we'll be able to do that, and get him neutered (which has been on hold for FAR too long).

[cisom]

Treating after they have heartworms damn near kills the dog! Have them checked and get them on the monthly pill or get the bi-annual shot. I use the shot because I'm terrible at remembering that monthly pill.

[hyperbole]

ok, great, thanks for the info... 'nuther question... How does a dog go about getting heartworms?

[deltron]

ok, great, thanks for the info... 'nuther question... How does a dog go about getting heartworms?

i believe the main cause is mosquitos.

[kendall]

Yep, mosquitoes.

http://www.placervillevet.com/heartworm.htm

Uh, before you click on that you should know there is a pic of a heart, after it's been infected. It's not real messy... but a little gross if you have a weak stomach.

[Boo439]

Poor, poor Hyper. So misguided... haha. Yes, mosquitos cause heartworms. You probably don't have much of a problem up there, but we sure do down here.

Let's say I never had Toda on Heartgard. He comes down with heartworms today. I can safely give him Heartgard for about 2 months. Heartgard retroactively treats for 2 months. Basically it will kill the heartworms up to 2 months of age then continue to PROactively treat from there on out.

BUT if a dog is seriously infested with the heartworms, then you give them Heartgard, that can be detrimental to their health. Basically before you go on preventative, you test. If your dog is positive, you pay quite a healthy sum of money for treatments. If he's negative, you go on with the Heartgard.

The whole thing for The Heartgard retroactively treating is if you use it, then forget for a couple of months, then remember to give your dog the chewie, it won't harm your dog, it will go back the couple of months, kill any heartworm activity and continue to prevent from there.

Hopefully that made sense.

[jmann4]

I have my dogs on a 6 month shot. Costs about the same as a six month supply of Heartguard but you don't have to bother with remembering to give it to them. Yes, preventive is the way to go.

[abman]

A preventative is the best way to go. Heartworms are horrible for dogs so prevention is the key. During the warmer months i give every four to six weeks. I usually give them one every 8 weeks during the winter. I have read tests that demonstrated heartgard as being effective when only given every 3 months during full mosquito season but the cost of better protection each month is minimal compared to treating full heartworms.

The 6 month shot would be nice but some dogs have had reactions to it so i choose to stay away from them right now. I hear bad things about the proheart shot.

[elegy]

i'd be scared to use the shot and put that much poison in my dog's system at once.

also, there was just a big recall on proheart but i don't know if it was something wrong with one batch or the drug in general. scary, still.

i use interceptor, personally.

[moto1320]

New heartworm treatments aren't too hard on dogs compared to the old method that killed the worms and sometimes the dog. The real problem is that you have to keep them crated for up to 60 days depending on wether or not the treatment is agressive. I use straight Ivermec from the cattle feed store. It is the same thing at a pathetic fraction of the price. One bottle could last forever. Heartgaurd has little actual preventative in it...and for what they charge. :roll:

[barbponys]

Thank God heartworm isn't around here. At least the west side. When we lived in Texas we did the preventative. I've heard of a vet or two that tell people they have to put their dog on prevetative here..........it makes me a bit angry.

I read a fascinating article on how dogs are infected with hearworm............if it was to be believed it sounded like it takes incredible bad luck for them to be infected.

[Blue Steel]

... I use straight Ivermec from the cattle feed store. It is the same thing at a pathetic fraction of the price.

Yep. Same here. I've used it as a preventative with all my dogs for the past ... dang ... almost twenty years now. Once a month, at a dosage of 0.1 cc per eleven pounds of body weight, or 1cc per 110 pounds of body weight (for a 55 pound dog, I use 0.5 cc). Use a tuberculin syringe to make sure I get the exact correct dosage. It's great stuff.

[hyperbole]

Thank God heartworm isn't around here. At least the west side. When we lived in Texas we did the preventative. I've heard of a vet or two that tell people they have to put their dog on prevetative here..........it makes me a bit angry.

Are you saying we don't need to use the preventative here??? I'm just south of you in Portland, OR, and my vet recommended we use Interceptor... $90 for 12 god damn pills!!!!

[barbponys]

Ummmmm, sorry Hyper. As far as I've heard it isn't a problem here. There's never been a verifyable case of heartworm, the one that started the hysteria was a transplant from down south and had them already. My vet is very good about being totally honest and he has major problems with vets telling clients they need to put their pets on heartworm. Believe me, if it was necessary I would be the first one going to the feed store and buying some ivermec.