Is there anything over the counter heart/worm for your dog?
2007-03-15 06:12:10 · 10 answers · asked by bethbo01 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
My dog doesn't have heart/worm the person I got him from took him to the vet before they sent him to me, I just didn't know if he should be on it or not. If this was something all dogs was on?
2007-03-15 06:28:36 · update #1
He was taken to the vet in Nov. should he be retested? How often do they need checked for heart/worm?
2007-03-15 06:38:16 · update #2
Hi you all have been so helpful, but since he was tested in November when should I have him retested how often do you get your dog checked? And should I start him on something like prevention?
2007-03-15 07:27:36 · update #3
Your vet should check your dog for heartworms at their early exam. Keep him/her on Heartgard Plus. This not only prevent heartworms but prevents a bunch of common intestinal parasites as well. They come in flavored chewable tablets that most dogs think they're a treat Your dog should be kept on heartworm medication all year.
http://heartgard.us.merial.com/home/
2007-03-15 06:44:12 · answer #1 · answered by dolfingrrl928 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not true that the heart worm prevention will kill the dog if it already has heart worm. In fact the newest protocol is to treat with ivermectin (the preventative drug) first to get rid of the young worms and leave as few adult worms as possible for the final treatment which decreases the risk that the dog will die after the treatment has been administered (the dog has to be kept still in order to keep the dead worms from breaking free and causing a fatal blockage before it's body can break down and absorb the foreign body). It's great for dogs who are unable to handle the traditional treatment (you might see this with a rescue who's health is so deteriorated that their kidneys would shut down with traditional heart worm treatment). It is also not true that the worm "wraps around the heart." The worms stay in the blood system and block blood flow. They do sometimes travel to the lungs in which case the dog would be coughing and gagging.
You should have your dog tested and put it on the preventative drugs. Most vets consider year round prevention preferable but some people only treat their dogs during warm weather when mosquitoes are present (this would vary with your geographic location). My vet prefers to test in May for young dogs and dogs who are only receiving the preventative during the warm weather months as testing earlier can give a false negative because of the stage of development the worms have to be at in order to be detected. My vet also does not require yearly testing for dogs who are on the prevention year round because he feels that the risk is so low that it would be unfair to his clients to charge that money.
I personally have mixed feelings about putting dogs on monthly treatments for intestinal parasites because I am concerned about creating drug resistant strains of the parasites, but that is probably too far from your original question to address fully.
2007-03-15 09:36:55 · answer #2 · answered by th3dogmomma 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a medication called Heart guard. You can go to the vet and ask for the proper one. Once you have that you can order the medication once you run out.
Just a note: This medication is to prevent heart worms, not treat it. Just so you know. Good luck with your new dog!
2007-03-15 06:32:07 · answer #3 · answered by Jenjen 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it takes 6 months for the egg to mature to a worm. i was told by my vet not to start heartworm medicine until 6 months due to the rapid growth and weight changes (dobermans). The vet said once started the medicine will kill any immature heartworms. i order my heart worm medicine from petshed.com and have had good luck with it.
2007-03-15 07:24:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must get a test , which is a blood test from your vet, then start the treatment for heart worm, it is a wrom that wraps around the heart of the dog, most cases the dog will die. Please for you dogs sake get it checked as soon as possible.
2007-03-15 06:57:49 · answer #5 · answered by kanei 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well if you get a checkup for your dog, ask them to check for heartworm as well. There are two possible remedies: Heartguard (chewable tablets but to be administered 1x a month so quite easy to forget) or a yearly heartguard injection, which works for a year and is i believe cheaper in comparison and you won't have to worry about it for a whole year. You can ask the previous owner for his history and if they ahd him checked then tehy can tell you. If not then bring him to the vet, as older dogs do need regular yearly checkups.
2007-03-15 15:51:13 · answer #6 · answered by GabbyL 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to get that from the vet and don't let it lapse. If that happens your dog needs to be tested for worms. If not the medication can be deadly to your pet.
2007-03-15 06:20:34 · answer #7 · answered by AM 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. And you need to have your dog tested for it before you start the meds. There are discount agencies if you can't afford the vet.
2007-03-15 06:19:25 · answer #8 · answered by shermynewstart 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO! don't mess around with heartworm. If your dog has it please get it to the vet, or the heartworm will kill it! If you're looking for a preventative, you can only get it thru your vet.
2007-03-15 06:22:42 · answer #9 · answered by porkchop 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might find this interesting.
Warning:
Do not use this for Collies or Shepherd breeds as they may be sensitive to it.
http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineheartworms.htm
2007-03-15 07:22:50 · answer #10 · answered by tom l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋