Heartworms and Hookworms

Hi ADog'sBestFriend, are you saying that you are just going to treat with monthly Heartguard and skip any treatment at all?

My understanding is that it will not cure the dog of the debilitating heartworms alone. That is how it was explained to me by my vet. Typically a shot like Immiticide is used, the dog is kept extremely sedentary and then after the dog is tested clear, Heartguard or other preventative is used to help the dog remain so, with testing at least yearly to be sure the Heartguard does not fail. Don't forget that the hooks will need to be retreated at 2 and 3 months from now to be sure they are all gone. If you walk your dog in the same areas, you'd be smart to use Interceptor as the dog will just become reinfested by walking there again and constantly using treatment level pesticides rather than monthly prevention is harder on the dog's system.

Unless I miss my guess I think your vet DOES plan to administer the Immiticide after a couple of months.  He's simply trying to get rid of the microfilaria first.

If money is truly a big object here, if you'll email me I can share with you how to use plain ivermectin to get rid of the adults -- it takes a year but it is VERY cost effective (like $40 for the whole treatment).

And honestly??  I have a feeling there is more failure in HeartGuard in your area than you may know -- because it spreads particularly since it's become so common for people to find a dog on Petfinder and then adopt across state lines.  And mosquitos simply spread further and further with the wind and climate.

I had three dogs test positive after being on the prevention, no missed doses. Our vets are finding this more and more. I live in the south as well. this has really been a frustrating ordeal.

outdoorschik, I am not saying that I'm just going to use Heartgard for the treatment. Just using it first to kill all of the microfilariae, the L3 and the l4 larvae first and then get to the deworming shots. If I gave Joy the deworming shots before I gave her the heartgard, by the time I could treat her for heartgard after the shots, the microfilariae etc. would be adults and not able to treat by heartgard.

   Yes, my vet recommended me to use the panacure the next month everyday for three days to make sure they are gone then come for another fecal exam. I usually just have one dog, but I'm taking care of another, the vets told me to walk them separately in different places.

   Thank you calliecritturs so much, I'm sure that the heartworm preventives you recommended are very good, but I think I'm going to stick with heartgard because I trust my vet, and I trust my friends who use it.   :)

I hope it works for you, I trusted mine too. It isn't the vet who is at fault, and I don't blame the company either. All i know is I have proof times three that heartgard and triheart does not work. I spent about $140 a month on heartworm and flea prevention for many years. We have changed our preventative routine, so lets hope the other three stay heartworm free. I hope your dog makes a full and fast recovery.

Sounds like a good plan ADog'sBestFriend please do update and let us know how your dog does. Heartworms are such scary things.

all the best wishes to you and your four legger!

 Thanks! I hope it works. I picked Joy up from the vet yesterday and she did great on her first heartgard. I'll keep you updated!

   - Ok, I took Joy to the vet today to get her bloodwork done to figure out what class her heartworms are at. She's still at the vet but we'll pick her up later today. She is in a low stage of class two, which isn't too bad, but will still cost a bunch. Her first shots won't be taken till the middle of February. The next time we give Joy Heartgard, on Jan. 15, we will start giving her these pills. The next month, on February 15, we will give her her first injection. I'll find out more when we pick her up later today.

 It sounds like the vet is having you start doxycycline?  It's a pretty strong antibiotic, so you may want to ask your vet about using probiotics to minimize tummy upset due to the antibiotics.  The rescue I foster for does a similar program for HW+ dogs (30 days doxy before the immiticide) and has had very good results.

Do also ask your vet about activity restrictions - most dogs need 4-6 weeks of STRICT craterest after the shots (i.e. 5 minute walks for pottying and that's about it for the first two weeks, then gradually increasing) and you'll want to be prepared for it.  If Joy is not crate-trained now, I would get on that asap!

 Yes, it is a strong treatment so we will give her half of each pill, each day.

  Yes, after the shots she will feel VERY uncomfortable. therefor we will take her out to go potty then come right back inside and go back to sleep or rest.

 I AM SORRY YOUR POOR LITTER GIRL HAS THESE WORMS.  I ALWAYS SAID HOOKWORMS ARE NOTHING BUT A LARGE MOUTH FULL OF TEETH WITH A TINY BOIDY ATTACHED.    I HAVE HEAR TELL OF LITTERS LOSING SEVERAL PUPS TO THEM BEFORE THEY WERE OLD ENOUGH TO BE TREATED---THIS WAS BACK IN THE 50'S THO.

ALSO, I KNOW ABOUT THOSE DANG HEARTWORMS.  WHEN WE ADOPTED HONEY DEC. 7, 2002, SHE WAS DECLARED PARASITE CLEAN, INCLUDING HEARTWORMS. AND HAD BEEN GIVEN HER HEARTGAURD THE DAY BEFORE WE PICKED HER UP.  BUT A MONTH LATER I TOOK HER TO OUR VET TO GET HER STARTED ON INTERCEPTOR  AND SHE WAS HEARTWORM POSITIVE.

 WE HAD HER TREATED RIGHT AWYA.  SHE WAS TAKEN IN EARLY IN THE MORNING, TWO PLACES ON HER HIPS SHAVED, SHE GOT ONE INJECTION THAT MORNING, STAYED OVER NIGHT, GOT THE 2ED INJECTION THE NEXT MORNING AND WE PICKED UP BEFORE CLOSING.  THEN WE HAD TO KEEP HER KENNELED FOR 6 WEEKS, ONLY ALLOWED OUT ON LEASH TO GO POTTY.  

SHE IS A GOLD RETRIEVER MIX (THO MOST TAKE HER FOR FULL GOLDEN) AND WAS "RIGHT AT A YEAR OLD" WHEN WE ADOPTED HER.  WE HAD 2 FULL GOLDENS INCLUDING JUST TURNED 3 YEAR OLD LITTERMATES.  IT WAS SO HARD ON HONEY TO BE KENNELED AND WATCHING THE OTHER DOGS BE FREE TO RUN AND PLAY.

 BUT AT THE END OF THE 6 WEEKS SHE WAS HEARTWORM FREE AND WE TURNED HER FREE IN THE BACK YARD TO RUN AND JUMP AND PLAY, AND THAT IS JUST WHAT SHE DID.   THIS WAS IN FEB. 2003.  I GET HER CHEST X-RAYED EVERY SPRING--OKAY, I AM A WORRY WART--AND MY VET SAID HER HEART AND LUNGS ARE SO PERFECT HER X-RAYS COULD BE USED TO SHOW WHAT A DOGS CHEST SHOULD LOOK LIKE.  SO NOW SHE IS 9 AND PERFECT, NO ILL EFFECTS WHAT SO EVER FROM THE HEARTWORMS OR TREATMENT, HARSH AS IT WAS.

 I USE INTERCEPTOR AS IT PROTECTS AGAINST NOT ONLY HEART WORM,S BUT ALSO HOO, WHIP AND ROUND WORMS.  NONE OF MY DOGS HAS EVER HAD HOOK WHIP OR ROUND WORMS, AND THE ADOPTED ONE IS THE ONLY ONE TO EVERY HAD HEART WORMS, AND SHE HAS BEEN FREE FOR 8 YEARS NOW, AND ON INTERCEPTOR.

ONE THING, DO NOT, PLEASE DO NOT, EVER USE PROHEART6.  THAT IS THE 6 MONTH INJECTION TO PREVENT HEARTWORMS.  IT KILLED MY JUST TURNED 4 YEAR OLD GOLDEN BOY, HUNTER IN OCT. 2003 WHEN I MADE THE HORRIBLE MISTAKE OF SWITCHING HIM FROM THE INTERCEPTOR TO THE PROHEART 6.  TEN MONTHS LATER THE FDA HAD THEM PULL IT BECAUSE IT HAD CAUSED SO MANY DEATHS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS--THOUSDANDS.  IT WAS OFF THE MARKET FOR 4 YEARS, BUT ALLOWED TO COME BACK AFTER IT WAS "REFORMULATED"...EVEN THO THO FORT DODGE HAD SWORN ALL ALONG IT WAS "PERFECTLY SAFE."  SOME EVEN LOST 2 DOGS TO IT.

I KNOW IT ISN'T BEING PROMOTED THIS TIME LIKE IT WAS BEFORE AND THERE IS A TON OF WARNINGS AND RESTRICTIONS ABOUT NOT GIVING IT TO DOGS WITH ANY KIND OF ALLERGY, UNDER WEIGHT DOGS, OLDER DOGS, ETC, ETC.  I WOULND'T TRUTS IT AS FAR AS I COULD THROW MY CAR!

AND YES, IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR JOY VERY INACTIVE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER HER TREATMENT TO PREVENT A CLUMB OF DED WORMS, ETC FROM MOVING INTO HER HEART OR LUNGS AND KILLING HER.  IT IS HARD, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, WORTH IT.  I KNOW..HONEY IS HAPPY AND HEALTHY TODAY.

sandra_slayton

WHEN WE ADOPTED HONEY DEC. 7, 2002, SHE WAS DECLARED PARASITE CLEAN, INCLUDING HEARTWORMS. AND HAD BEEN GIVEN HER HEARTGAURD THE DAY BEFORE WE PICKED HER UP.  BUT A MONTH LATER I TOOK HER TO OUR VET TO GET HER STARTED ON INTERCEPTOR  AND SHE WAS HEARTWORM POSITIVE.

It is unfortunate that folks don't always make it clear to new owners that a dog of unknown history can not be considered "heartworm free" until after a second test six-months after starting a heartworm preventative.

Young heartworms (injected by a mosquito) that are over about 45-days old can't be killed by a preventative.  They also can't be detected by any current test until mature at about 6-7 months of age.  Even then only the adult females can be detected.

It is possible (but statistically improbable) for a dog to test "heartworm free" and still have a large number of mature adult male heartworms, but less than 6-7 mature adult females. 

 Sandra_Slayton - I am sorry about you dog:( and am Happy for your dog that lived after having heartworms. :)

Yes, I do believe that we will get her tested for heartworms again after a while after she is done getting her injections.

  The way my vet gives injections is doing them a month spread out, that way she doesn't go through too much pain at one time. :)

I'll keep y'all updated.

ADog'sBestFriend

  The way my vet gives injections is doing them a month spread out, that way she doesn't go through too much pain at one time. :)

It has pretty much nothing to do with not causing pain -- they have to wait for the dead parasites to pass thru and be re-absorbed by the body and that's how long it takes.  That is how the immiticide is generally done.  With shots a month apart.

 Ok - This Morning I took Joy to the vet for her first heartworm injection. They told me she was doing fine but was in a little pain, as normal. We won't get her back till tomorrow after lunch. I'll tell you how she is.