Heartworms

 I'm really sorry for you and your dog. There is some evidence that  heartworms are becoming resistant to the medication;

The Bayer Experience 2011    I'll keep Lizzy in my thoughts; (((hugs)))

Thanks for the kind words.  I've seen a commercial on tv about dogs getting HW even with the preventative.  guess I just can't believe it happened to my dog and I'm really afraid of what the treatment will do to her.

Timbersmom

I have heard the treatment alone can kill a dog.

Treatment for adult heartworms can be serious, but a lot is dependent on how many heartworms the dog has.  Did the vet give you an estimate?  Most dogs with light loads of worms do just fine with the standard treatment as long as the owners follow vet instructions and keep the dogs inactive.

You can minimize the danger for your pet by understanding all parts of the treatment.

Issues:
(1)  The drugs used to kill adult heartworms are organic arsenical (contains arsenic) compounds.
(2)  The dog's body has to reabsorb the bodies of the dead worms.  Pulmonary thromboembolism results from the obstruction of blood flow through pulmonary arteries due to the presence of dead heartworms.  This can be minor or severe.  Activity must be resticted.  You do not want to get the dog's heart rate up (probably the reason for waiting until cooler weather). 
(3)  The microfilaria (initial baby stage) must be also be killed, but there may be none (or very few) in a dog that has been on a preventative.
(4)  A parasite called Wolbachia lives symbiotically inside heartworms.  Treatment with doxycycline to kill the Wolbachia parasite weakens the heartworms and makes them unable to reproduce, lessens their adverse effects on the body and greatly reduces the chance of adverse reaction during heartworm treatment.

See these sites for a more complete explanation: 
http://www.dogaware.com/health/heartworm.html
http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjheartwormtreatment.html
"Update 2009: New research indicates that treating with weekly ivermectin (Heartgard) combined with doxycycline prior to treatment with Immiticide will make the treatment much safer."

Timbersmom

I have never missed giving her a pill.  I'm still in shock. 

Heartworm "preventatives" unfortunately are not foolproof.  If a young heartworm gets into an area of low blood flow, it might avoid being killed.  Dogs sometimes spit out their tablets out of view of the owner or throw up the tablet out in the yard.

Since heartworms over about 45-days-old (45 days from the mosquito bite) can not be killed by a "preventative" it only takes a couple of thrown up tablets to allow heartworms to grow to maturity.

What preventative were you using? 

I've been using Heartguard Plus.  I read that the shots they give for the treatments are very painful.  I can't stand the thought of my dog having to go through that.   the vet just told me to continue the monthly pill and call her in a few weeks.  she'll know by then if the company will pay for the treatment.  I wish I didn't have to wait.  I want my baby healthy again asap.

The immiticide treatment can be painful -- there's another way of treating that takes much longer.  HeartGuard unfortunately is failing a *lot* down here in the South.  It's simply dosed too low to be effective and resistance has begun to build.  What breed is your dog?  (That's kind of a big deal because some breeds don't do well with ivermectin -- that's why HeartGuard is dosed so low -- because they're trying to make the ivermectin "ok" for all breeds by keeping the dose extremely low.)

Interceptor tends to be far more effective -- I know you may be trying to get the HeartGuard company to pay for the treatment but I'd be using Interceptor at least to kill the microfilaria, but that's me. 

Dogs are very resillient -- life is precious.  Going thru a difficult time or a difficult procedure is do-able if you keep your eye on the goal of good health on the other side.  The immiticide can be painful -- but your dog should be able to be treated and survive this. 

Timbersmom

I read that the shots they give for the treatments are very painful. 

That is why you need to carefully study the treatment options, so that you can make sure that everything possible is being done to reduce and manage the pain and inflammation.  You want antibiotics to kill the parasite, plus anti-inflammatory and pain meds.

http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjheartwormtreatment.html
"Standard treatment with Immiticide consists of giving two injections 24 hours apart, then keeping the dog strictly confined for the next four to six weeks. The injections must be given in a painful location – the muscle close to the dog’s spine in the lumbar (lower back) area.  ...

Immiticide (melarsomine) has a much lower risk of complications than its historical predecessor, another arsenic compound called Caparsolate (thiacetarsemide sodium). Unlike Caparsolate, Immiticide does not damage the liver and kidneys, and kills a higher percentage of worms, so that fewer treatments are needed.

However, the Immiticide injections will cause muscular pain and soreness for a few days. It's critical that the injections be done in an exacting fashion in order to minimize this effect. This includes changing needles after filling the syringe before injecting, choosing the site with care, putting pressure on the site after injection, and alternating sites for future injections.

Corticosteroids (e.g., dexamethasone) can be given at the same time to lessen the reaction. Combination painkiller and sedative drugs, such as xylazine, may also be used to reduce the pain of the injection. Pain medications, such as NSAIDs, are also often prescribed for a few days."

Things that can help:
(1)  Weekly ivermectin (Heartgard) along with doxycycline (10 mg/kg twice a day) for 30 days prior to treatment with Immiticide (unless your dog has the MDR1 gene mutation that causes sensitivity to ivermectin).  This combination will reduce the chances of severe reaction to Immiticide.
(2)  Give a strong anti-inflammatory dose of prednisone daily for the first seven days immediately following the Immiticide, then half that once daily for 7 days, then continue that lower dose once every 48 hours for 14 days.

http://heartwormsociety.org/CAPC-AHS.pdf  (Give a copy to your vet if he/she has a problem with #1 and #2 above.)
"Note: When administering doxycycline, caution owners that doxycycline hyclate can injure the esophagus. Animals should be given water or food after administration to ensure that tablets pass to the stomach."

Lizzy is supposed to be a german shepherd mix but since she came from a shelter it really is anyone's guess.  I have always used the Heartguard Plus on her and on the GSD I had before her.  my precious Timber.  I really should change my name on here to Lizzy's Mom.  will also have to post some pics when I have the time to figure out how.  thanks everyone for the advice.  right now I have to wait for cool weather and since I live in Arkansas that's a long ways off.  thankfully Lizzy is acting like her normal healthy happy self.   I think the hardest part for me will be putting her through that pain and then the confinement.  she is going to be miserable.

Timbersmom

I have always used the Heartguard Plus on her and on the GSD I had before her.

After Lizzy finishes her heartworm treatment you might want to consider switching to Interceptor (see the very shocking article below).  I wouldn't switch now because HeartGard does have at least some effect on adult worms (very gradually kills them) and Interceptor does not.

The article describes a lawsuit filed by a woman who was fired by Merial for refusing to cover up problems with the effectiveness of HeartGard.

Note:  The dosage of ivermectin in HeartGard was lowered so that dogs with the faulty MDR1 gene could still take it.  I think Merial got stuck between having a less effective product or a product that could kill dogs with the faulty MDR1 gene. 

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/05/31/36931.htm
'The maker of Heartgard Plus, a heartworm drug used by millions of dog owners, "extortionately fired" its head of "global head of pharmacovigilance" after she refused to destroy a document relevant to a class action lawsuit regarding the drug's effectiveness, the Ph.D. claims in Federal Court.  ...

After reviewing the findings of that internal investigation, Blaho-Owens says, she "discovered that Merial had been aware of serious lack of efficacy adverse events reported regarding 'Heartgard Plus' since as early as 2002."  ...

Finally, Blaho-Owens says, she "came across documentation from another Merial employee in Lyon, France, F. Beugnet, who had done his own statistical analysis and determined that 'Heartgard Plus' was not 100% effective, but was only 95% effective."  ...

I am sorry your dog tested positive. I had three that tested positive too. In the Mississippi Valley area ALL of the preventions are failing, including interceptor. I now have mine on oral cattle ivermectin, which is working so far, but hard to dose, must keep very accurate weights, and a close eye for health concerns.

The treatment is expensive and can be hard on the dogs. One of mine is still positive, he was too old and had a large amount of adult worms and heart damage for the normal treatments. he has gone through a new treatment twice, will be re testing next month. I have told everyone I know about the prevention failing, and sadly people still blow it off as not being the truth. Until their dogs test positive :(

I used to use Interceptor but it's too expensive for 3-4 dogs once a month year round.  We have no MDR-1 problems, but I think Heartgard is dosed too low.  I now do my own ivermectin which I dose 8 times Heartgard and I am still dosing conservatively compared to other people I know who use it.  We had a thread about it on a GSD board and many people didn't realize they were dosing wrong b/c the concentration and micrograms was not the same (not as simple as comparing weights).  I got my dosing from a friend I trust and then asked a chemistry professor to also run the equation and they both came out the same so I dose based on their chart.  Another very reputable GSD breeder I know uses the same dose as me.  It's a constant balance/struggle to keep the heartworms away and not over-dose the dog.

juliemule

I am sorry your dog tested positive. I had three that tested positive too. In the Mississippi Valley area ALL of the preventions are failing, including interceptor. I now have mine on oral cattle ivermectin, which is working so far, but hard to dose, must keep very accurate weights, and a close eye for health concerns.

The treatment is expensive and can be hard on the dogs. One of mine is still positive, he was too old and had a large amount of adult worms and heart damage for the normal treatments. he has gone through a new treatment twice, will be re testing next month. I have told everyone I know about the prevention failing, and sadly people still blow it off as not being the truth. Until their dogs test positive :(

Caution!!!!!  For those of you who own herding breeds, such as Collies and Aussies, please test your dogs for the MDR1 mutation before you give any ivermectin product with a dosage higher than Heartguard.  It can kill your dog!!!!   All mine are on Interceptor for that reason, just to be safe.  Also, you should still be using a preventive against mosquitoes - I use herbals to try to minimize the risk.

WE ADOPTED HONEY DEC. 7, 2002 FROM THE LOCAL RESCUE ,TINY ONE  IN OUR LITTLE TOWN WHO GOES TO THE COUNTY EVERY "GAS DAY" AND TAKES A FEW DOGS THEY THINK THEY CAN FIND HOMES FOR.  SHE HAD BEEN ONE HOUR FROM BEING GASSED.

 BECASUE WE WRE GOING TO BE OUT OF TOWN OVER NIGHT,  WE PICKED HER UP  TWO DAYS LATER.  SHE HAD BEDEN SPAYED SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE, AND WAS DECLARED PARASTIE FREE, AND HAD BEEN GIVEN HEART WORM PREVENTION THE NIGHT BEFORE WE PICKED HER UP.

I DID NOT TAKE HER TO OUR VET TIL JUST AFTER NEW YEARS AS THE RESCUE VET HAD CHECKED HER OUT, SPAYED HER, ETC.  BUT I WANTED HER TO HEARTWORM PILLS WITH NO DELAY SO MY VET RAN THE TEST, AND IT CAME BACK POSITIVE.  HE DID IT AGAIN AND AGAIN IT WAS POSITIVE.   SHE WAS AT LEAST A YEAR OLD, POSSIBILY AS MUCH AS 15 OR 16 MONTHS OLD AND ALREADY HEARTWORM POSITIVE.

WE HAD HER TREATED.  TOOK HER IN FIRST THING A COUPLE OF MONRINGS LATER AND THEY HSAVED 2 PLACES ON HER HIPS AND GAVE HER INJECTION IN ONE AND KEEP HER ALL DAY AND OVER NIGHT, GAVE HER INJECTION IN OTHER HIP THE NEXT MORNING AND RELEASED HER BEFORE CLSOING THAT NIGHT.  I HAD TO KEEP HER IN A CRATE FOR 6 WEEKS, ONLY OUT ON SHORT LEASH TO DO HER BUSINESS.  IT WAS REALLY HARD ON THIS DOG WHO WAS STILL A PUPPY AS SHE HAD TO WACHHER 3 FULL GROWN GOLDENS RUN FREE AND PLAY, ETC.

AT THE END OF TH 6 WEEKS, SHE WAS TESTED AGIN AND WA "CLEAN" AND HAS EEN EVER SINCE.  AND THIS WAS BACK IN JAN-FEB 2003. I GET HER CHEST X-RAY EVERY YEAR (SHE IS CLSOING IN ON 10 NOW) AND MY VET SAID HER LUNGS AND HEART ARE SO PERFECT THE X-RAYS COULD BE USED TO SHOW WHAT THE PERFECT CHEST LOOKS LIKE IN A DOG.  SHE HAS HAD NO ILL EFFECTS FROM THE WORMS NOR TREATMENT.

YES, IT IS HARD ON THEM.  BUT I WATCHED THE TWO DOGS NEXT DOOR DIE BECAUE THE OWNERS INSISTED THEIR COCKER AND MIX DIDN'T NEED TO TAKE PREVENTION BECAUSE THEY WRE "INDOOR DOGS".  THE 8 YER OLD COCKER WAS SO PAIFUL HIS LAST CVOUPLE OF MONTHS.  COULDN'T EVEN WALK ACORSS THE ROOM WITHOUT COLLAPSING GASPING FOR AIR--OH, THEY COUDLN'T AFFORD THE TREATMENTS---COULD SPEND $100 A MONTH ON THINGS LIKE POKE MON AND BASEBALL CARDS, FIGHTING LESSONS FOR THEIR TERRORI SONS, BUT NOT TO CARE FOR THE DOGS.

 ALSO, I HAVE READ ON GOLDEN RETRIEVER FORUM THAT A NEW STRAIN OR HEARTWORMS IS BEGINNIGN TO CROP UP AND SOME OF THE PREVENTATION IS NOT WORKING.  I READ AN ARTICILE BY A VET IN ARKANSAS TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CASES SHE IS SEEING DESPITE THE DOGS BEING ON THE PILLS.

I HAVE ALSO READ A NUMBER OF TIMES THAT SOME OF THE PILLS THAT ARE ORDERD ARE NOT REAL.  I DO KNOW THAT MOST MANUFACTURERS WILL NOT PAY FOR TREAMTNET UNLESS YOU CAN PROVE YOU BOUGHT THE PILLS FROM YOUR VET.

MY HONEY IS ON INTERCEPTOR.  MY VET STOPPED SELLING REVOLUTION YEARS AGO BECAUE OF THE NUMBER OF DOGS ON IT WHO CAME DOWN WITH HEARTWORMS.  HE DIDN'T KNOW IF THE PEOPLE WERE NOT USING IT CORRETLY OFR IF IT WAS FAULTY, BUT HE STOPPED SELLING IT.  I TRIED PROHEART6 WHEN IT CAME OUT THE FIRST TIME (6 MONTH INJECTION) AND IT KILLED MY BEAUTIFUL 4 YEAR OLD GOLDEN RETRIEVE, HUNTER, SO IT WILLNEVER BE USED ON ANY DOG OF MINE AGAIN.  HONEY GETS INTERCEPTOR.

I WISH THE BEST WITH YOUR DOG.  I KNOW HOW SCAREY IT IS, BUT I THINK ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME THE STORY ENDS LIKE IT DID WITH, A HEALTHY HPAPY ACTIVE DOG.  EVEN THO HONEY IS RIGHT AT 10, OUR VET SAYS SHE LOOK AND ACTS MORE LIKE SHE IS 4.  THIS IS HER TAKEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.