Heartworm
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If the dog gets heartworms, the treatment is expensive and very rough on the dog. Prevention is a once a month pill or chewable, not very expensive compared with treatment for heartworms. You have to have them tested to be sure the dog is clear before starting the prevention, then you just give the pill monthly, no big deal. If there were no cases in your area, it would be different, but if 20% had them, I would use prevention.
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The pill is easier, treats more. There are new ones, one that is I think every 3 mos?… anyway, the heartguard pill is on the market a long time, safe. I avoid new drugs for at least 4 yrs. The proheart 6 everyone jumped on (give 2 x year)... then boom after about 2 yrs they pulled it as unsafe. Then wormshield pulled for being ineffective. Now everyone is jumping on Advantage Multi, but I'll wait. I'd rather see how it's working in a few years.
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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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@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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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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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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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.. -
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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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
