Heartworm

I'd like some information on this condition in dogs. Does my new puppy really have to take medication for this all her life?

Yes. Heart Worm preventitive is very important. Dogs do not have to be put on it before they are 5 months old. Or so I was told. If you start Tess on HW Preventative before 6 months (4-5 months old) then your vet will not have to do a HW Test (very pricey). Your vet will give you the medicine for 6 months. With Tess being so tiny, it will hardly cost anything. When Drake weight 70 lbs, it was only $30.00 for 6 months.

Well, now he gets a shot! It is go convenient and you do not have to worry about forgetting to give it once a week. And it is the same price as the pills!

Purrley, I can promise you that anyone who has watched a dog suffer through heartworm treatments will caution you to use the preventative 12 months out of the year. One of our new members here, Quanzhan, is going through it with her rescued Golden Retriever, Zack, right now. :( Please, use the preventative. I'm with Souraya, on Tess, who will be so small, it will cost you much less than it does those of us with large dogs. :)

Heatworm is transmitted through misquitoes. Unless you are completely misquito free are you safe.

Thanks - I just had a guy stop by and talk to me about his dogs and he said that it wasn't necessary to give this medication all year long, said it was a way the vets make money - we don't have a huge mosquito problem here - isn't that what's causes the disease? It's winter now so there are no bugs, but it would take just one bite right?
I really want to do the right thing here. It's worth it to me to be safe and not sorry.
Whoops I was writing this when Rottie posted - that answers my question :D We're only mosquito free during the winter.

[ December 05, 2001: Message edited by: purrley ]

Purrley,

I too asked a lot of dog owners and vets a LOT of questions about heartworm preventatives, and most times I was told "Oh, it's not a big problem here so it's not necessary." But even if heartworm isn't common in your area, it's still POSSIBLE to get it--and a dog with heartworm is miserable, the cure can be deadly, and it costs a small fortune to treat. Why risk it at all? K & E are both on Interceptor now, which also prevents intestinal worms.

In warm climates like ours the winters are too mild to kill off mosquitoes so we use the tablets year-round, and the only time we had to do the bloodtest (about $40) was when the dogs started Interceptor for the very first time. In the midwest and other places with very cold/snowy winters (Utah too, I imagine), you can use the tablets only in spring and summer, but you have to get the bloodtest done each spring when you restart the medication. Whatever method you follow, prevention is definitely the right way to go! All it takes is one little mosquito...
:( The website www.heartwormsociety.org is great--click on "canine info" for all the details.

Please give your puppy the heartworm pills each month start asap. Not only the treatment does not come cheap, and it is VERY PAINFUL for dogs and it could cost their lives. I cried so many times just watching Zack, he was in so much pain, he would not want to eat, to walk,and his whole body was trembling. And I could not help him at all, just watching. You have to keep them really quiet after the treatment for few months. My Zack will go to another treatment this Friday. If you please read heartworm treatment and the reaction to the treatment, believe me, you don't want your dear dog to go through this horrible procedure.
My previous dog (also a golden) had the pill every month all her life, she loved the pills.

Purrley,
My dog Buddy has been on heartworm RX all
of his life.He is 8 yrs now.Bud took tabs
based on weight when he was a pup, and later
switch to chewable Heartgard(ivermectin/
pyrantel) as he grew bigger.One per month,
6 doses in a package for $30.00. Not that
much really for the "peace of mind" of knowing they are protected.
Besides preventing heartworm disease the RX
also treats & controls ascarid & hookworm
in dogs. Bud weights over 100 lbs so your
baby girl's RX would be a lot less..
Please do it....

I agree with all of the above. Daisy and Perry are on heartworm preventative every month of the year. I would never take the chance of saving a little money for a few months of them being unprotected. Never, Never, Never.
Jackie