# Don't forget to treat your dogs for Heart Worm



## captain (Nov 18, 2007)

I just wanted to remind everyone that this will be a very improtant year to remember to vacinate your dogs against heart worm with all the mosquitos this wet year will bring. 

I took my dog into the vet a few days ago to get him up to date on his rabies and get dewormed. The vet also recommend that I test for heart worm. My heart sunk when I got a call back from the vet telling me that I had probably start looking for a replacement dog. I had been giving my dog Heartgaurd for several years, but the vet said that he tested positive. He said that they probably got in his system before I started the medication. I guess that heartguard only kills the baby worms, and will not kill the adults. I was told that it would cost around $1,000 to treat him, and his stage is so advanced that his heart is enlarged, and the procedure may not even be successfu  l. If this is true, I may be out a good retirever and companion in the near future. Don't make the same mistake I did. Start treating your dogs right when they are puppies.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Down in my home digs a dog not on those pills is a dead dog walking, heartworms is very prevelent back there. I always keep my dogs on heartworm pills

My old GSP Lucky tested postive after I moved here, I also had him on heartguard! :twisted: I have since switched to Interceptor brand pills They say a very small % will get worms even with the pill. Sounds like both dogs were in the same stage when it was caught. I did the treatments, it cured him. I got another 2 years with him before liver cancer took him from us. 

What can I stay, that old dog was unlucky when it came to health. Never name a dog Lucky, it jinks them. :O•-: :O•-: 

BTW, sometimes if you can prove you had the animal on treatment, the drug company will pick up some of the tab for treatment. I couldn't meet all the critira on Lucky, so I missed out. Its worth looking into at any rate. I would ask your vet about it, thats how I found out about the program.

Whateve course you choose, good luck. I know how it feels to loose your hunting buddy, it sucks!


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

We tested our pup as soon as we could for heartworm last year. Luckily the test came back negative, so we were able to start him right into a monthly regimen of Interceptor. Hasn't missed a pill since. 

My question is- how often should a dog be tested for heartworm even if they take preventative meds at the prescribed interval? Once a year? Every two? I'd be shredded to pieces if my pup died of something that could be regularly tested for, but I neglected.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Most vets will not sell you the pills unless you have had a heartworm test done in the last 12 months.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Sorry to hear there.When did you start your dog ?I started giving my them when they was 8 weeks old.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Went to Dallas Green and bought Ivermectin today. Each of my mutts get a 1/2 cc every month.


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## Gaston (Dec 6, 2008)

You have me worried, can you by the meds at an animal health store or is it vet only ?


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Gaston said:


> You have me worried, can you by the meds at an animal health store or is it vet only ?


As Tex mentioned above you can get the Ivomectin from IFA and such, which is meant for livestock in general, but is supposedly bad for the collies and similar breeds. The normal stuff is only available from vets is my understanding.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

As pictured above you can get this stuff at any farm supply store. Just DON'T buy the Ivomec "Plus". It has an extra ingredient for cows and should not be given to dogs. Also, the Ivomec is meant to be given as an injection with cattle and hogs, but you give it orally with dogs. Just a 1/2 cc is all it takes. For really big dogs or pregnant females you can give a whole cc. The chewable stuff the vet sells you for a hundred bucks has the SAME EXACT active ingredient. It's just put into a little chewable meat snack. Some Vets will tell you not to give your dog the ivomec but they're just trying to sell you the Heartgaurd crap. Buy the Ivomec and you'll save a ton of money. 200 doses for about $40 versus 12 doses of the heartgaurd for a hundy... You do the math. As with all drugs, you need to have your dog checked out and tested for heartworm first. If your dog already has heartworm and you give it Ivomec it will kill your dog.


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## Gaston (Dec 6, 2008)

Thanks for the info. If you have your dog tested are the results immediate or do they have to send them to a lab ?


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Gaston said:


> Thanks for the info. If you have your dog tested are the results immediate or do they have to send them to a lab ?


u get them on the spot


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I spoke with the Veterinarian at the Utah Department of Agriculture just now, Dr. Wyatt Frampton. He told me that there were 81 positive tests for heartworm in Utah last year, most of which came out of Davis and Weber counties. There were 8 cases in Salt Lake county. My vet wants $45 (exam and consultation, Heidi looks good to me) + $32 (blood test) + $82 (year's supply of Heartgard), for a total of $160/year. I don't know how many tests were done, as that number isn't reported. Let's say 10,000 dogs were tested in SL county last year. That works out to $1.6M dollars to prevent 8 cases of heartworm, which is $200,000 per. That's a lot of money. I don't think I'll be testing or treating my dog, as my previous dogs have never had a problem and I don't hunt mosquito-infested places with her. I might look into the injectable, but won't be using my vet for this. YMMV, that's just food for thought.

Here's a good post on the topic:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/loa ... 75.html?25


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

Paddler, it is funny you posted that link because I found that same on on my own yesterday and read through it. Seems to me not only is it MUCH cheaper to do it on your own with the oral ivormectin (spelling???), but a bit safer and more efficient because you can actually calculate an amount for you dogs weight instead of just "50-100 lbs.". 

Also, as far as the blood test, office visit, etc. costs with the vet, I found the same thing with my local vet, quite expensive. However, I checked and it can be done at the Utah Humane Society for a fraction of the cost, I think it was only $22 if my memory serves. So basically around $60 to check and dose my pup for years, so I think I am going to go for it. Can't bare the thought of her getting sick because I tried to skimp on less than $100.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

$160 a year is worth it to me to keep my pal alive. Sure, they're making lots of money on it, but isn't that the point of running a business?


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I agree, Jeremy. Going the private vet route makes little sense. I'm not going to pay him for consultation, etc. No offense, but I don't need him to tell me my dog looks good. The humane society sounds like the way to go. It would be interesting to find out the prevalence in your area. As I said, 8 cases in 2010 in SL county isn't much to worry about. 

Chaser, the decision is yours alone, of course. I was just attempting to provide information so guys can make good decisions about heartworm prevention. This is my third dog, and so represents 27 years of dog ownership. My dogs have never had a problem, and I doubt they ever will. The cost/benefit ratio isn't there at $160/year for me.


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## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

if you live in a more rural area with higher consecrations of mosquitoes that is where i would be concerned. Captain lives not but a block away from me here in our tiny little town of one stop light. SL county may only have a few cases, but the vet i go to says its pretty bad in our area.


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## captain (Nov 18, 2007)

The reason my dog was tested was because 4-5 other dogs in my nieghborhood had already tested positive. My next door neighbor is a vet and gives me all my heart guard for free, but like I said, once the adults are in the blood then you have to treat it with a very expensive procedure. Just spend the money annually and avoid a big $1200 bill later. I just got a shorthair puppy, and I started giving it to here right when I got her.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Jim, sorry to hear about Duke bud...


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

How often should a dog be tested for heartworm if they have been on a consistent monthly dosage of medication since their last test?


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Chaser said:


> How often should a dog be tested for heartworm if they have been on a consistent monthly dosage of medication since their last test?


Never...as long as they never went off the meds.

I had a dog with HW. $800 later he was treated and two years later dead due to an enlarged heart from the heartworm. I wouldn't dare not keep all my dogs treated to prevent heartworm. If you think a $40 test is too expensive you probably shouldn't have a dog.


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## Pops2 (Jul 28, 2010)

I was told several years ago that most dogs that test HW positive are either from out of state or ben out of state rescently.


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## goforbroke (Jan 4, 2009)

We just had our dog tested and preliminary results in 10 minutes with no follow up phone call.


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## yfzduner450 (Dec 28, 2009)

If you going with the Ivermectin route, you should get the Zimectin gold in paste form. ivermectin alone doesn't kill tapeworms but the Zimectin gold does because is contains Praziquantel. But remember with ivermectin, if your dog is positive for heartworms they will most likely tip over dead because it will kill the adult worms. I am not a vet so take my advice at your own risk.


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## tigerpincer (Dec 5, 2009)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> As pictured above you can get this stuff at any farm supply store. Just DON'T buy the Ivomec "Plus". It has an extra ingredient for cows and should not be given to dogs. Also, the Ivomec is meant to be given as an injection with cattle and hogs, but you give it orally with dogs. Just a 1/2 cc is all it takes. For really big dogs or pregnant females you can give a whole cc. The chewable stuff the vet sells you for a hundred bucks has the SAME EXACT active ingredient. It's just put into a little chewable meat snack. Some Vets will tell you not to give your dog the ivomec but they're just trying to sell you the Heartgaurd crap. Buy the Ivomec and you'll save a ton of money. 200 doses for about $40 versus 12 doses of the heartgaurd for a hundy... You do the math. As with all drugs, you need to have your dog checked out and tested for heartworm first. If your dog already has heartworm and you give it Ivomec it will kill your dog.


I had Bronco tested for heartworm recently. Once I received the negative results I went and picked up this Ivomec (same package as the picture that was posted) Whats making me nervous is that the package says right on it not to use on dogs as it may be fatal. I understand the vets wanting to push the goods they are selling but if this is indeed safe for dogs why would the manufacturer want to limit their customer base? I'm not saying I dont believe you. Its just when it comes to my best freind I prefer to be careful and look after his health and safety over saving money. However if I can do both I'm ever so happy to do so. Im just wondering how long you have been using this product? Where did you get the information about its ingredients? Neither the package or bottle I purchased make any mention of the ingredients other than to say 1% saline solution.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I have heard that the Ivomec can be fatal to the collies and other herder breeds; although I don't know what they would have different from any other canine.


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

It can be fatal if injected as directed on the package. Those instructions are for cattle. Your hunting buddy will be just fine if you give it to him orally. It is the same ingredients you will find in Heartguard.


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## FULLHOUSE (Oct 1, 2007)

Tex are you using the 1/10 cc per 10 pounds formula that I've seen when researching dosages?


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

FULLHOUSE said:


> Tex are you using the 1/10 cc per 10 pounds formula that I've seen when researching dosages?


1/10 cc per 10 lbs is way more then is needed. A lot of guys give that much and their dogs are just fine, but you really don't need anywhere that much.

Here's some info from a Vet that posted this on a dog hunting forum:

vomec is a 1% solution...this means that there are 10 mg of Ivermectin in 1 ml. You can also use the oral equine solution as well.

Heartgard plus for a 50 pound dog has 272 micrograms (0.272 mg) in it. I keep reading on other forums that the dose of Ivomec for a 50 lbs dog is 1/2 cc (1cc and 1 ml are the same measurment) which is 5000 micrograms or 5 mg...THIS IS WAY TO MUCH!

You can safely give a dog a 50 lbs dog 0.1 ml of Ivomec orally once a month for heartworm prevention (this is 1000 micrograms which is still to much...but it won't hurt you bird dogs!). Dogs with demodecosis (demodex mange) can be given a dose of 0.3 to 0.5 mg/kg orally every single day for months on end (this would be about 0.6 ml of Ivomec or 6000 micrograms for a 50 lbs dog)...I've rarely seen any side affects from the higher dosage.

As Kim mentioned...We owe it to our bird dogs to make sure they have a negative test prior to starting them on Ivermectin...they can die from the prevention if they are positive! If you go year round faithfully , test them at least everyother year! Heartgard and the other product manufacturers will not garantee their product w/o a negative test first.

It's always good advice to chat with your vet prior to doing anything with your dogs! Collie type dogs can be sensitive to Ivermectin...there's a new blood test available at Washington State University (go Cougs!) to detect the gene that causes a reaction to Ivermectin.


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

It is true that 1/10cc per 10 lbs is more than your dog needs. That is the dosage I use on my dogs. They get 1/2cc once a month. I know of a distrubutor of Heartguard who's dog got into a case of it and ate (who knows how much) a whole bunch of Heartguard. The dog was fine and that would be considered a HUGE overdose. Odds are you would never see any negative affect from giving too much.


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