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Socal Friends....heartworm Or No Heartworm?


Guest DMBFiredancer

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Guest DMBFiredancer

I've heard a few opinions from friends and I am still on the fence about heartworm preventative. If I still lived in NJ it would be a no brainier considering how many mosquitoes tear my legs apart in one night in NJ!

Here in Southern CA I cannot remember a time in my 10 years here that I have even seen a mosquito.

Should I still be giving preventative meds each month? My goal for myself in health care is to take as few meds as possible, whatever is absolutely necessary, so obviously I feel that way about my companion animals too.

Thoughts?

 

Thank you!

Debbie

Edited by DMBFiredancer
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Yes to heartworm preventatives.

 

1. If you ever want to travel outside your area, you don't want to have to worry about whether mosquitoes are present or not.

2. Almost all heartworm preventatives are effective in helping to prevent or control other parasites. See the chart here.

 

The preventative--for heartworms and for other parasites--is much less expensive and less hazardous to your dog than the treatment for those parasites.

 

 

ETA: I've heard of owners who stopped giving heartworm meds to their senior dogs on the grounds that the dogs would die of old age before any heartworms could cause health issues. Well, I've got a 13-year-old, and I don't want to lose him to complications from roundworms, hookworms, or whipworms--all of which are controlled or prevented by the heartworm meds he takes.

Edited by KF_in_Georgia

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Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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All the prevalence maps show you'd want it.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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I live in Echo Park, just north of downtown LA, I killed a mosquito just today as it lit on my arm. It's the first one I've seen in months. My vet says that they do need heartworm preventative at least through the summer and into the fall. It's too cold for mosquitoes here in the winter.

Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog)

Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014

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My vet suggest heart worm even here in Syracuse durning the winter because it does help prevent worms as well. So we give year round. For that reason alone!

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Guest Waterdog66

Here in SoCal we are somewhat spoiled by Vector Control who take some fairly dramatic steps to curb mosquito population. There are plenty of lagoons, ponds, estuaries and marshes to breed mosquitos (And they do). Vector control regularly plant Mosquito Fish in standing water and spray (From the ground as well as helicopters) every season. Some of this is a side effect of the Fruit Fly control but mosquitos are definitely a primary target.

 

I once saw a homeowner with a swimming pool (and a Broken Pump) filled with Mosquito Fish Planted by Vector Control.

 

The Lagoon near my house gets a good spray 2 or 3 times her year from a helicopter.

 

BUT: There still are mosquitos in SoCal; they are just under siege. I do choose to give Audrey a heartworm preventative.

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