Truth Or Fiction?

[Guest SusanP]

I always thought if a dog had heartworm and was given heartworm preventative before treatment it could kill the dog. I could swear a vet told me that within the last few years. But someone told me today that may be an old idea which has been disproved. Does anyone know?

 

I'll be testing our new guy (a bounce) for heartworm right away and before I give preventative anyhow, but I'd sure like to know how it all works.

[Guest KipperGrey]

I think I remember reading somewhere that occasionally the heartworm meds were used to treat some cases of heartworm. I am not sure.

[Guest greybookends]

It depends on which heartworm preventative you are using.

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

My vet continues to tell me that if I have any break in heartworm medication, that my dogs will have to have a new bloodtest to see if they have heartworm before going on the medication again. it is also my understanding that the medication could be lethal if the dog already has heartworm.....

 

Edited to add: Medication is Heartgard

Edited September 19, 2007 by Spencers_Greyt

[feemandvm]

With the old Filarabits... giving them to a HW positive dog was a mistake you only made once. With the newer monthly preventitive products... reactions are quite rare but more likely with Interceptor and Sentinel than in Heartgard or Revolution. I would actually argue that if an owner wasn't going to treat that they should keep their dog on Heartgard for 2 reasons.

 

1. Eventually the heartgard will "slow kill" the heartworms. Not before significant damage to the heart was done but if they aren't going to treat anyway late is better than never.

 

2. If you give them prevention then the dog won't be a source of microfilaria for mosquitos to bite and then infect other dogs in teh area.

 

 

So hte answer is can today's preventitives be problematic in a HW positive dog? Yes they can... but it isn't nearly the risk that it was when we used to use daily filarabits.

 

 

[lothianjavert]

Thanks Feemandvm! I didn't know about the Filarabits. I've never heard of them.

 

For regular prevention here, we just use Ivermectin. This June should be time for the annual HW test (new vet now wants to do it 2x year but I don't see why . We use ivermectin year round. I refuse to do the test 2x year, so I do it in June w/ the rest of the scheduled "annual" exam.)

 

 

[greyhoundlov]

My son's "new" dog has heartworms. His vet is recommending that he treat him with Heart Guard.