Is "heartworm" testing and pills an absolute must for all dogs? I live in the North.?

Answer 1

There's a great article on this by a vet in his website. I've checked him out and he is a licensed vet in the state of Florida. He says that we are being ripped off on this one, that giving the heartworm pill every other month when mosquitoes are present is all you need do. As for the test, the pills are 100% effective, so the test should not be needed. The studies show that you can give the heartworm pill to a heartworm positive dog safely. It will not kill adult heartworm, but will keep anymore larvae from developing into adults. The life expectancy of a heartworm is 2 years. Dr. Malernee ( www.evidencebasedvet.com ) links you to the government's website to prove his point. He links you to the study on Heartgard. I've read the studies on all the heartworm pills and they are all the same. You also need to look at when mosquitoes are present in your area. Unless you have a 24 hr temp of 60 degrees or more, then mosquitoes are not out. So also research the life cycle of mosquitoes.

Answer 2

Well, you could pay $6 a month to prevent them by using the pill or if they do get them, it will be about $500.00 to cure or they will die a very slow and painful death. Sounds harsh, but those are the choices you have to make. If you have mosquitos any time of the year, your dog stands a chance of being infected with heartworms. If it's colder during the winter, you could possibly get away with only giving the heartworm preventative in Spring & Summer. I foster for an animal rescue group, and now we have 14 dogs that are heartworm positive - some as young as 6 mos old. We are one of the very few that will pay to treat the heartworms, most agencies put them to sleep rather than spend the funds treating them. So, do your dog a huge favor, and give them the preventative. You only have to have them tested every two years, and even that is usually only around a $35 fee.

Answer 3

Well, the disease is spread by mosquitoes. If you ever get mosquito bites, then chances are your dog does too. If you want to take the chance that "it won't happen to my dog" that's your choice.

The risk is minimal in the northern parts of North America. However, dogs do occasionally become heartworm positive up here and the ones I have found have never left the area. (Therefore, an infected mosquito was in the area and probably bit more dogs.)

A big advantage to keeping your dog on "year-round" heartworm prevention, is the intestinal parasite control that comes along with it. Interceptor, Sentinel, and Heartgard (plus generics) also provide control of roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. If your dog is around small children, they can be passed to them!!!!! But, with reasonable sanitation and a monthly de-worming (from your monthly heartworm pill) the risk is very small.

Answer 4

Heartworm is all over the U.S. and even can be found in Alaska. Testing and prevention is cheap compared to the expensive nightmare of treating a dog with this condition. If the dog lives through the treatment, he can still suffer permanent damage. Even if your dog never leaves the house, he can still be bitten by an infected mosquito.
If I could only afford to give one preventative or vaccine it would be for Heartworm!

Answer 5

it's better to be safe than sorry. just giving straight ivermectin once a month is not a very good idea because it is not time released. The once a month pills are easy to dose out and relativley inexpensive.

Heartworm testing is recommended annually because most companies that make the Heartworm prevention will pay for treatment if your dogs is tested annually and continuosly on prevention.

Answer 6

If you have mosquitoes, yes! I also live in the north and adopt rescued animals. Years ago, I adopted a beagle mix that had heart-worm because she had never been given the monthly pill for prevention. She died during treatment and she was only a couple of years old. Today, heart-worm can be treated successfully, but it's very expensive. Have your dog tested and treated. It's only once a month for the pill and it could save you a lot of heartache.

Answer 7

We dont test our dogs for heartworm very often but they are clean every time and we dont use pills. We give them Ivermectin and they are clear of any kind of worms. My dogs have never had worms.

Answer 8

I would think it's a must it is a higher chance that a dog will get heart worm, because they are so relaxed when a bug or anything lands on them which is how they get heart worm from an infected mosquito.

Answer 9

Not a must but i do it for a safety measure in case for a dogs check up every year