Heartworm Injection? Proheart6

[Guest MrsKuchta]

We took Roobie to the vet for an initial visit and to get her big D cleared up (solid poops for 3 days now, hooray!!) and we needed to get a flea/Heartworm prescription for her. The vet tech offered heartguard, as well as something else that was for fleas, ticks, and Heartworm (?? I have no idea what it was, I thought Heartworm meds were only oral and flea meds were topical) as well as injection you get every 6 months for Heartworm called proheart6. Has anyone used this on their grey before? She said the cost was the same, but I wasn't sure about giving anything other than heartguard since that is what I am familiar with.

 

We also would need get a flea topical, which I'm assuming would be cheaper to order online?

 

We didn't make a decision that night because the vet wanted to do a Heartworm test and I knew the adoption group had done one already and there was no sense in paying for another one. They wouldn't give us anything without proof, so I'm going back next week with the verification. Also because I wanted to so some research on this injection first, so any experience/suggestion would be great!

[oldrunners]

I also am interested. As of about 2 months ago, my vet haven't even heard of it. We go for our yearly physicals in 2 weeks, so I'll ask again, but I,too, would like to know more about it.

[MaryJane]

IMHO, I usually don't use something new unless it has been out for a few years and there is tons of research to suggest that it has no adverse effects.

[cometdust1]

I wouldn't jump on that bandwagon just yet.

[dmswartzfager]

We've been administering ProHeart 6 at our hospital for about 20 months now; started about when Sentinel/Interceptor became unavailable. There have been two adverse reactions to it in that time, but nothing that a Benedryl injection couldn't fix. There are several greyhound patients that get ProHeart, but they were not the ones with the reactions. I personally do not use ProHeart with mine, but that is because when it first came back out, dogs over 7 years old couldn't get it unless they had gotten it previously, and mine were considerably older than 7. That restriction was lifted a few months ago as more data was generated, and there are currently no age restrictions as long as a dog has reached his/her adult weight.

[Acadianarose]

Payton and Toby both started the ProHeart a couple of months ago. Neither had any type of reaction. However, Toby has been on Heartgard his entire life and is now heartworm positive in spite of the preventative. So I am willing to try the Proheart.

[Burpdog]

It was pulled from the market for several years because of adverse (death) reactions. Several greyhounds died as a result of this injection. I would not use it, ever.

 

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/VeterinaryMedicineAdvisoryCommittee/UCM205054.pdf

Edited December 10, 2013 by Burpdog

[Guest greybookends]

Yes it was pulled. Voluntarily by the maker for further testing and it was discovered that a VST majority of the bad reactions was due to it being administered improperly by vets and to animals it should not have been given to ususally an animal that already had many health issues. When it was put back on the market it could only be administered by vets who recieved the proper training and were certified to administer it. all of mine have been on it and I have never had a problem and the injection is good for 6 months.

[krissn333]

It was around when I adopted Ace over 10 years ago. I knew several greyhounds that had it and did not do well on it. It is suspected that is what caused my angel Carrie's stroke (happened while she was with her previous family). It was pulled from the market shortly after that.

 

It is easy enough to give Heartgard every month. What I don't like is if the ProHeart injection doesn't agree with your dog, it is in their system for 6 months. Not cool.

[Burpdog]

I can't fathom giving 6 months of poison by injection. Once you give it, you cannot take it back.

[Guest jetska]

6 months ? here in Aus they say ProHeart is annual!? Barbie didn't have any jabs this year, just a titre test which returned a satisfactory result... I switched to heartguard because it is cheaper and the proheart jab always made Barbie sore.

[MandysMom]

My Dalmatian did not do well on it. That was a long time ago, before they pulled it off the market. I would really hesitate to give it again.

[JJNg]

Interestingly, Proheart (including the higher dose 12-month formula mentioned by jetska) has been available in Australia and some European countries for over 10 years and has never been recalled. So that begs the question...are dog owners in other countries just more tolerant of severe side effects, including alleged fatalities, are dogs in the US somehow more likely to have problems with this medication than anywhere else in the world, or are American dog owners prone to over-reaction, especially when facilitated by Internet paranoia? Obviously, everyone needs to stick with what they're comfortable with, but I'm not sure Proheart really deserves the reputation it's gotten here in the US. Kinda like the recent news reports circulating on the Internet making Trifexis look bad based on a few unsubstantiated owner claims.

[Guest jetska]

JJNg - I find your perspective on this very interesting.

 

I have used the stronger 12 month version for 5 of those years for my boy (non-greyhound) and he didn't have any issues. Even had it at the same time as his annual C5 vaccination.

 

Barbie has had it 3 times and she has been fine except for localised soreness afterwards and an initial flinch at the needle as they use a bigger one than for the usual vaccs.