Heartworm
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wrote on 7 Feb 2011, 13:51 last edited by
Thanks a lot, will look into it. Ayo needs to go get his vaccines and check up anyway.
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wrote on 7 Feb 2011, 14:04 last edited by
If there is any possibility that heartworm is "out there," I would definitely give Ayo heartworm preventative. Your vet will test him first, then he should prescribe a monthly pill, which prevents five other types of worms as well as the heartworms, and it is just safer to keep him on it. The treatment for a dog having heartworms is long and difficult, and some do not make it through. Advantage is a topical flea medication which keeps the fleas off, but does nothing for worm problems. Keeping that on him as well would be a good thing, who wants fleas?
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wrote on 7 Feb 2011, 20:54 last edited by
@Shaye's:
If there is any possibility that heartworm is "out there," I would definitely give Ayo heartworm preventative. Your vet will test him first, then he should prescribe a monthly pill, which prevents five other types of worms as well as the heartworms, and it is just safer to keep him on it. The treatment for a dog having heartworms is long and difficult, and some do not make it through. Advantage is a topical flea medication which keeps the fleas off, but does nothing for worm problems. Keeping that on him as well would be a good thing, who wants fleas?
Yes thanks I will definetly ask my vet about the pill. I mentioned the advantage because I had heard that there was a new one that also prevents heartworm>>
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wrote on 7 Feb 2011, 23:53 last edited by
i, too, use heartguard. it's very inexpensive, effective, and suki thinks it's a special treat (it's actually softer and chewable - not really like a pill).
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wrote on 12 Feb 2011, 01:53 last edited by
I was speaking to a veterinarian today who explained to me that heart worm preventive medicine is rarely administered here, because of various reasons. First of all it is considers very low incidence,. Another reason and this is what I think I was told is that because most dogs are given ivermectin regularly anyway for deworming and is the main ingredient in heart worm medicine like cardomec. So technically most dogs are covered anyway…. basically what I understood is that dogs here are dewormed more and against more worms than there and so they end up being covered for heart worm with the ivermectin... Does that make sense?
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wrote on 12 Feb 2011, 02:22 last edited by
I was speaking to a veterinarian today who explained to me that heart worm preventive medicine is rarely administered here, because of various reasons. First of all it is considers very low incidence,. Another reason and this is what I think I was told is that because most dogs are given ivermectin regularly anyway for deworming and is the main ingredient in heart worm medicine like cardomec. So technically most dogs are covered anyway…. basically what I understood is that dogs here are dewormed more and against more worms than there and so they end up being covered for heart worm with the ivermectin... Does that make sense?
Well only if you are giving ivermectin monthly… otherwise I would disagree with your Vet. Many use ivermectin instead of monthly heartworm meds... but it is given monthly....
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wrote on 13 Feb 2011, 15:59 last edited by
OK yeah, I agree with you Pat. I will get him tesetd and on the pill. I try to learn as much as I can and make a decision. I find that vets here have a very "relaxed" attitude to treatment and analysis. they tend to " diagnose" by experience rather than tests, on the other hand I am also skeptical about medications and especially preventive treatments, that are advertised a lot , its bussiness, and I feel that, as usual, when bussiness mixes with health, i mistrust. Its like that with people , imagine with dogs!.
However, from what ive read and what everyone has told me, I feel that vets here are underestimating the heartworm situation, and probably a lot of dogs are dying from it without it getting diagnosed.. -
wrote on 13 Feb 2011, 16:10 last edited by
It is one of the very few "preventive" treatments that I trust…. Heartworms are horrible... and the treatment after the fact is worse
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wrote on 14 Feb 2011, 06:54 last edited by
Just a question though…
Do you have the injectable heartworm medication available in either USA or the Dominican Republic ???
We have it available here in Australia, its a yearly injection, marketed to those who are forgetful about the daily or monthly oral meds !!! It has had some bad press from quite a few people, who are having issues with it. Adverse reactions, and possible auto-immune issues, I think... I cant for the life of me think what they are though, (sorry mushed brain ATM !!!).
Just curious ???
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wrote on 14 Feb 2011, 07:01 last edited by
They had deaths from it here in the 6 mo version (the australian one is 12 mos, same drug!), pulled it off the market.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/vet/faq/proheart6_qa-qr-eng.php
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