Heartworms

[mercedes]

I was told that dogs very rarely get heartworms. I was also told that giving my dog heartworm medications would just be a waste of money. What should i do?

[tugger5000]

Give'em the heartworm preventative. The cost of treating heartworm versus the cost of preventing is pretty significant.

I think that heartworm treatment can run over 1000(?) and take up to a year to treat (someone please correct me if I am wrong)...

[Sharon Marples]

I think a lot of it depends on where you live....

What does your vet say, are you in an area where heartworm is prevelant? If so, get on the medication, nothing worse than losing a dog to heartworm or having to go through the expensive treatments just because someone said "it was a waste of money."

Take the advice of the experts in this area.

Sharon

[JD102175]

Better to be safe than sorry....give your dog the heartworm preventative. If you don't and your pup get heartworms the cost of the treatment is very expensive and in the end your dog could die despite you getting it the treatment.

I believe one of members recently had the misfortune of lossing a dog because of heartworms. Read the thread in The Rainbow Bridge forum titled R.I.P Bama.

Jaime

[MARYDVM]

If you have mosquitos where you live then you have heartworm disease too. Even here in the desert of AZ there were close to 400 reported cases in 2001.

[mercedes]

Thank you all very much for replying. I live in Wisconsin and we have billions of misquitos here. I didn't know that misquitos carried heartworms. I will definitly get heartworm meds for my girl.

[Carina43]

DEFINITELY give the monthly Heartgard (not the shots.) It is not expensive. I took in a dog last year with HW; let me tell you treating it IS expensive! Not to mention HW will kill a dog.
Your dog will need an annual blood test (under $100) and the pills cost me about $40 for 6 months.

It cost me about $1000 all told to treat Dutch (I've seen costs both higher and lower than that.) The modified arsenic shots were painful and really kicked his butt for a while. He has to stay on the Heartgard for 13 months, instead of taking a few months off in winter like the other dogs. He had a light-moderate infestation, he was quite thin and tired easily & had a very poor coat, how much of that was just poor care (he was a chained up backyard dog) and how much the HW, it's hard to tell.

Heartgard does not prevent heartworms, it kills any in the system while they are still at the tiny baby (microfilia? sp) stage and prevents them from growing to the lethal adult size.

[Sue]

I work at in Veterinary Parasitology at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. I've mentioned before that we do a biannual HW survey of all the practices in the state. We're currently receiving responses for the survey of the 2002 calendar year. Our last survey showed an INCREASE in the incidence of HWD. I think too many people feel it's hype from the pharmaceutical companies and not really a threat. Believe me, if you've ever helped treat a HW positive dog or had one, you'd never not give preventative again. As already stated, treatment is both harsh and expensive. Please don't take the risk of putting your dog through it :(

[Sheenagirl]

Been there, please give the heartworm meds especially since you are in a area with lots of mosquitos. ;)

[Judi W]

Just out of curiosity, who told you this stuff anyway? (not their name, but credentials). If this is a person given to offering you information, please don't listen to any if s/he could be so very far off on something like this

[marianne]

I also live in Wisc. I lost a Rottweiler during the heartworm treatment! Please,get your dog to the vet for the heartworm test,then place on the preventive your vet recommends.
I agree with Judy W. your mentor is way off base.

[yuki]

I was told not to give heartworm medication during winter months. So now I am going to start again. I am woundering should she take heartworm test before re-starting it again? Do you give your dogs heartworm meds during cold winter?

[Judi W]

I give it year round. If you stop and start, you will need to do a test. Remember, most heartworm preventatives also protect against some of the intestinal parasites as well.

[Trinitii]

At the vets office where I volunteer if your dog is off heartguard than they definitely test before having the dog put back on. I believe I heard that if they have heartworms and take the medicine it can kill them. I would have it tested just to be sure.

[Anne]

I would not take the risk of taking No preventative medication. Heartworm can kill. I use Sentinel all year round. Your dog will need a test if over 6 months of age. I agree with other posters, your mentor is not very knowledgable.