Heartworm Prevention

[Guest greyhoundmom1]

Just curious, not trying to open a can of worms........What are your thoughts about Heartworm Prevention - yay or nay?

[Guest EmilyAnne]

I have two special needs dogs, one with cancer, and one with epilepsy. What I say is, if my dogs cant handle the heartworm prevention, then they certainly cannot handle the actual treatment for heartworm. So, therefore I do give my dogs their prevention, and so far it has not caused problems. Never even triggered a seizure. I live in Michigan by the way, LOTS of heartworm cases here.

 

So, a definate yay here!

[Guest Spencers_Greyt]

Here's my thought on heartworm prevention. The cost is minimal compared to the cure if a dog does get heartworm and a lot of dogs don't survive the process for a cure. I would HATE myself if my dogs got heartworm because I was being "cheap" and then spend thousands trying to cure them! So I have used heartworm preventative for years and years with all my dogs and I don't live in a heartworm hotspot either. Better safe than sorry.

 

 

[Guest CDNgreys]

Yay! An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!

 

My uncle opted against it and he forked out a TON of money to try to get rid of the heartworms and he ended up having to put her to sleep. He originally thought he was going to save $$ by not buying the preventative.

[Guest NickelCreeksMom]

I once adopted a dog not knowing he had heartworms, we treated him and within 2 years he deleveloped lymphoma

I've always wondered if the treatment contributed to the cancer.. Like the posts above, I would rather be safe than sorry.

I would feel absolutely horrible if my dogs got sick from something I could easily prevent

[Guest Energy11]

OH, I AM ALL FOR HEARTWORM PREVENTION!!

 

Having worked at a vets, I SAW first-hand what dogs and cats go through when they get heartworms! IT IS HORRIBLE and CAN kill them.

 

I love Iverheart MAX! Not only does it kill any heartworm larve, it takes care of ALL canine worms, INCLUDING tapes!

 

My dogs do fine on it, too. If your vet will give you a script, you can get it online for a fraction of the cost, too!

 

Good Luck! D

[Guest kydie]

Yep, use it on all 4 of mine, we live in a wooded area, heartworm it not prevelent here, but not going to chance it,I agree with an ounce of prevention, by the by, I have used it for as many years as it has been available, and never, never, had any issues. I beleive in the long run it can pay for its self

[PrairieProf]

My dog is on Sentinel (what the vet recommended). In what universe wouldn't I want to prevent her from getting heartworm, most all the other kinds of worms, and to further protect her against fleas as well?

[Guest KennelMom]

um. Yay.

 

I didn't realize there was a controversy over it. Esp in areas that have HW carrying mosquitos.

[Guest Energy11]

I LOVE Sentinel, and when in Florida, NEVER had ANY FLEAS. The stuff is safe, and, makes all the fleas in your dogs' are sterile. Now, that is cool, right?

 

The downside of Sentinel is it is EXPENSIVE, and not working for a vet anymore, I just can't afford it. I am using Iverheart Max and Adams Flea and Tick mist, so far, so good! ... Adams also kills bees and spiders :-) D

[TheFullHouse]

Having a hound who came to me with heart worms and spending 6 weeks watching her go through heart worm treatment.........absolutely, positively will always make sure my dogs get heart worm prevention.

[RobinM]

6 months out of the year for us.

[Guest Guppy]

I am struggling with the question of whether to use heartworm meds or not this year too.

 

For me it is not about the money at all but what toxic meds I am subjecting my healthy pets to. As I understand it, the meds used to treat heartworm are often the same as the ones you give monthly to prevent it and they are both nasty chemicals. Why would I want to use these on my dog when there is a very low risk of heartworm in my area?

 

On the flip side, I also understand that heartworm is absolutely horrible and can be lethal. I am considering testing 2x per year (we only have mosquitos from about May to October) and finding good mosquito repellants for my guys to use to deter mosquitos. I am also trying DE for worms and other critters.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on the con heartworm med side?

 

Leanne

[Guest Energy11]

TO ME, having worked at vets for four years, THERE IS NO CON side to the issue.

 

It just takes ONE mosquito to infect a dog :-( The treatment could KILL, especially a sensitive greyhound.

 

I have used HW preventative for all of mine, with absolutely NO side effects, and my former vet/employer/friend, whom I totally trust, says, HW preventative should be given all year, especially in the southern states.

 

You might want to talk your questions over with your vet, or consult OSU's Greyhound Wellness program, to ask THEIR opinion.

 

Good Luck! D

[Guest StriderDog]

I choose year-round Interceptor. The makers of Interceptor will pay for your hound's worm treatment (heart, round, hooks) if they get them while on the product - all you have to do is keep your receipt to prove that you bought and used it year-round. I like a company that will stand behind their products!

[Guest Energy11]

I choose year-round Interceptor. The makers of Interceptor will pay for your hound's worm treatment (heart, round, hooks) if they get them while on the product - all you have to do is keep your receipt to prove that you bought and used it year-round. I like a company that will stand behind their products!

 

 

WOW, I DID NOT KNOW THAT! Good info!

[lothianjavert]

I am struggling with the question of whether to use heartworm meds or not this year too.

 

For me it is not about the money at all but what toxic meds I am subjecting my healthy pets to. As I understand it, the meds used to treat heartworm are often the same as the ones you give monthly to prevent it and they are both nasty chemicals. Why would I want to use these on my dog when there is a very low risk of heartworm in my area?

 

On the flip side, I also understand that heartworm is absolutely horrible and can be lethal. I am considering testing 2x per year (we only have mosquitos from about May to October) and finding good mosquito repellants for my guys to use to deter mosquitos. I am also trying DE for worms and other critters.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on the con heartworm med side?

 

Leanne

 

Read the part on the treatment. While using ivermectin can be part of the treatment, it doesn't kill the adult heartworms. The treatment to kill the adult heartworms is NOT pleasant, nor is it without risk.

 

Heartworm treatment

 

I use a preventative (ivermectin) year round, even though we have cold winters. It's just safer that way.

[Batmom]

We use prevention year-round here in northern IL. The monthly is a teensy amount of meds.

 

I honestly don't know anyone who doesn't use heartworm prevention here and would be appalled if I did. My family's been using it for their dogs for more than 30 years. Heartworm is not a benign disease in any way, shape or form. Dogs die from getting them and die from the treatment as well. Using prevention is a no-brainer.

[Guest OMGiluvgreys]

We use it all year. Why put your pup at risk

[Guest EmilyAnne]

I am struggling with the question of whether to use heartworm meds or not this year too.

 

For me it is not about the money at all but what toxic meds I am subjecting my healthy pets to. As I understand it, the meds used to treat heartworm are often the same as the ones you give monthly to prevent it and they are both nasty chemicals. Why would I want to use these on my dog when there is a very low risk of heartworm in my area?

 

On the flip side, I also understand that heartworm is absolutely horrible and can be lethal. I am considering testing 2x per year (we only have mosquitos from about May to October) and finding good mosquito repellants for my guys to use to deter mosquitos. I am also trying DE for worms and other critters.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on the con heartworm med side?

 

Leanne

I see you are kind of new in that you only have 71 posts, so you are probably not familiar with what I have gone through with my Henry's epilepsy. Henry is SUPER sensitive. He has a limited diet, and there are meds he is very sensitive too and he cannot take. It took me a year of detective work and observation to figure out what Henry is sensitive to. Heartworm meds, is ONE thing, that Henry has NOT shown ANY sensitivity too. Whatever amount of toxin is in the preventative, I know it has to be very miniscule, otherwise Henry would have shown problems with it.

 

Something else, it has been my experience that dogs with a compromised immune system, and in general poorer health, seem to attract more parasites. So if your dog is compromised for any reason, then I believe it is even more essential to make sure you use heartworm preventative. If they cant handle the preventative, then they sure as heck cant handle the actual treatworm for heartworms.

 

Hope this helps you in your decision.

[Guest FordRacingRon]

Yay,,without a doubt. Makes no sense to me to chance something when you know you can prevent it.

[Hubcitypam]

As far as eisk from Ivermax and Heartgard etc., several vets have told me the dosage of Ivermectin is so small that a dog (except for collies and other dogs along that line) could eat all the boxes of Heartgard they could stand in and be just fine.

 

You don't have to fork over a ton for office call and tests then buying the meds from the vet at inflated prices. You can get your dog tested at a shot clinic/SPCA place for around $20 and order the meds from Australia very inexpensively with reasonable shipping charges and quick delivery.

 

I know people will go "You gotta get it from the vet as it is guaranteed" "You can't trust any drugs from out of the country" but the difference between $150+ (at my one vet for office call, test and 6 months) vs. <$50 (test at clinic and AU product) can be a deal breaker for some people. I might not order Ivermectin from the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, but feel fine getting it from AU. Ivermectin is Ivermectin.

Edited May 8, 2009 by Hubcitypam

[Guest R3GREYS]

We keep all three on Intercepter all year. We just had them tested for heart worm at the vets this week as required for another 2 years of perscription. ( I don't know if this is just a NJ requirement) . Our vet writes us the script and we get it online from a US company along with their front line plus. He has no problem with that. They also got their Lyme booster and yearly check up. I would not chance our dogs getting heartworm as the treatment is expensive and really hard on them if not sometimes fatal. Too many skeeters, fleas and ticks here in the pine barrens of South Jersey.

John

[Guest greyhoundmom1]

We keep all three on Intercepter all year. We just had them tested for heart worm at the vets this week as required for another 2 years of perscription. ( I don't know if this is just a NJ requirement) . Our vet writes us the script and we get it online from a US company along with their front line plus. He has no problem with that. They also got their Lyme booster and yearly check up. I would not chance our dogs getting heartworm as the treatment is expensive and really hard on them if not sometimes fatal. Too many skeeters, fleas and ticks here in the pine barrens of South Jersey.

John

 

 

Some greyt info from everyone! I have heard a lot of good about Interceptor and think that's exactly what I'm going to get. I found it on 1800petmeds pretty reasonable.

[Guest Pipi5]

Down here in the south we give heartworm preventative all year long. In February I found a mosquito in my house so yes, I give it all year long. I had a dog also came to live with me who went through 4 months of heart worm treatment due to the previous owner not giving them the preventative.

I too did not know there was a controversy.