Required to give heartguard?

[Corinna]

Glacier, thats be couse it's too cold up there. We have mixed vet opinions here some think we should and so say we get cold enough for the worms to die here.

[Daisy and Delilah]

It does make sense that maybe heartworms wouldn't exist in certain parts of the world. I didn't even think about it but I think it's great that some areas don't have to worry too much about their dogs contracting it. Thanks for that information

[Rage]

Yea, I was kinda worried today when I first heard of this threat, lucky I'm in one of the few parts of the world that doesn't have to worry (or am I lucky that we get -40C weather in the winter?)

[AllAmericanPUP]

I give my dogs Ivermectin.

[bell_peaches]

My one dog will not eat the heartworm meds that the vet says all dogs love. He had to give me liquid to give her every month. So now all three dogs get the meds every month. I was relieved when we rescued Mrs. Magoo last week she came out negative for it. I had given peaches the shot for the six month treatment she got so sick from it I thought I was going to loose her. I will never ever give her that again. My vet says it was taken off the market but they are coming out with a diffrent one. I will wait and see how it affects dogs before ever giving it to one of my babies.

[Daisy and Delilah]

My girls get the chewable Heartguard. Delilah eats it like candy and Daisy spits it out on the floor. She eventually eats it but it takes a good long while. She can be pretty picky sometimes anyway LOL

[elizabethann]

Interesting...I always thought every single dog had to have a heartworm pill no matter where they live. Thanks for the map link.

[lv4dogs]

You don't necessarily have to buy heartguard, you can buy another brand of heartworm prevention, heart guard is pretty pricey. Your dog should be tested for heart worms first, starting prevenative treatment in an untested dog could lead to worse illness if heartworms are present.

I just wanted to add that you should always consult with your vet before choosing what brand to give.

Heartguard has ivermectin in it which can cause some serious side effects. It should not be given to Collies, Shetland sheepdogs, Australian shepherds, and Old English sheepdogs, though some individual animals that are not members of these sensitive breeds may also be prone to side effects.

Revolution contains selamectin, which is a closely related cousin of ivermectin. To be on the safe side it shuold also not be used on the above mentioned breeds.

You can't just give you dog the pills. You need to get he/she tested because if he/she already has it the pills won't help and your dog will die.

Yes that is true but heartworm meds are also avail only by script. and you are required to have your dog tested before putting him/her on the preventative.

So if your vet doesn't require a test chances are it's not a very reputable vet at all. And also not complying with state/government laws.

Another thing to be careful about is the place you are purchasing them from. If they don't require a script from your vet chances are it is a scam. A lot of internet drug sites that don't require scripts are selling fake drugs. Which is also against the law.

[lv4dogs]

Interesting...I always thought every single dog had to have a heartworm pill no matter where they live. Thanks for the map link.

Yes they should. The map just shows you where it is more common. If you were to look at a heartworm map 10 years ago you'd be VERY surprised how far it has spread! It spreads fast & you never know when or where it will turn up. If your neighbor travels somewhere, accidently gets a live heartworm possitive mosquito trapped in the luggage or what not, makes it's way back to your area... boom you've heartwoprm in your area now.


And winters make no difference. Sure the colder it gets & the longer it stays cold helps keep them at bay it is still no guarantee. We get some nasty cold winters up here & heartworm is pretty common in my parts.

[Ree'sKujo]

My mom just had to put down her 3yr.old black lab because of heartworms.He had them so bad the vet wouldn't even consider treatment because he was so bad.Putting him down was her only option.Needless to say she's heartbroken and the guilt she feels for not having him on a preventative is overwhelming.My Kujo gets it faithfully every month.No matter what brand you and your vet decide on it should definitley be given especially if you live in an area where mosquitos are a problem.It's horrible the way dogs suffer from it.