# HW Preventative in a very low incidence state - Necessary or moneymaker for vets?



## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

So I've used Interceptor every summer since getting my own dog (so for the last four years) like a good dog owner. Now with the continual financial element, my research into holistic animal care, and actually taking a look at the AHWS's incidence stats... yeah why do vets recommend hw preventative in this area if its so minimal? Seriously!?

I'm in ID, so thoughts from people in ID, WA, etc.? Do you use preventative here? It would be nice to spend that $90 on food for us instead of Interceptor...

Also I'm thinking of going to food grade DE for parasite prevention. They are dogs who like to eat sheep/cow/horse poo and catch voles/mice/etc. In the past for flea/tick prevention I have used two doses of Frontline Plus each summer. One in May and one in July. Thats it. I've had zero problems and I know we have a ton of ticks here. I tend to lean toward thinking its their health that helps more than the topical treatment, given that I'm very minimally treating them.
So if I go to food grade DE, should I also consider using ACV as a feed through?

Lastly wtf should I tell my vet? I can either say I've decided to go the holistic route after much research (and try to stammer out the facts... while getting a disapproving look...) or I can just say I'm buying somewhere else. As it is I'm not sure their online shop shows them my buying records. They are pretty open minded, but at the same time I just don't even want the hassel of trying to explain why I no longer want to pour chemicals into my animals.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I am in Washington state and in 14 years have never used heartworm meds and have never had a dog get heartworm. We also treat holistically and use no chemicals on our dogs. So I guess I am an extremist, raw food, no vacc, no chemicals.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

I've been in Portland, Oregon for the last 6 yrs and have 2 dogs. My vet doesn't think heart-worm meds are necessary here yet, unless you do a lot of traveling with your dogs.

This is such a nice change from when I lived in the mid-west and it seemed a real necessity for so much of the year. 

The only chemicals my dogs are exposed to are their 3 yr. rabies and a 3 yr. DAP for the younger dog. My senior doesn't get them anymore.


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## Igandwhippetlover (Feb 20, 2012)

Heart-worms are prevalent in the south. As a rescue we use Liquid Ivermectin/ Injectable for ours. The bottle is about 30.00 every three years. Our vet told us the amounts to put in their food each month and that is what we have been doing. As for flea and ticks, I have been told by one of our greyhound people to use Murphy's Oil Soap to bathe them in. Fleas and ticks do not like it and it will not hurt your dog.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

Liz said:


> I am in Washington state and in 14 years have never used heartworm meds and have never had a dog get heartworm. We also treat holistically and use no chemicals on our dogs. So I guess I am an extremist, raw food, no vacc, no chemicals.


I know where I'm going if I ever want to border collie. 

I don't mind the heartworm prevention. I would hate for a dog to get HW. My only wish is that they didn't put any extra stuff in it. Flavoring and the like. Every manufacturer is doing it. Either get it specially made or you suffer with the HW and whatever other chemicals they decide to throw in their for whatever their reasons might be. I completely understand why some people choose to use it.

Not keeping up with the vaccines, the required vaccines could cost me my dog on top of whatever fines they decide to give me. I would avoid doing so if I could find another way that didn't require me to be on the run after the new laws my county has decided to take on dogs.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I would love to get away from using HW meds, but I'm so paranoid....I live in CT so I dunno. We get super humid here in the summer. 


Liz- what do you use for holistic treatments/prevention for HW and also for flea/tick?


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

In my 23 years of owning dogs, and living in Washington state, i can honestly say i'd NEVER used or knew anybody that used HW preventative, I've never known any people that had heartworms in their dogs either... Coming to the south, i've learned that it's very prevalent... but as for WA state... never heard many cases of it either.

I'm with Liz... oregon/wa/idaho, it might not be necessary at all. or at some point the treatment of the HW's might be easier on the dog once in a lifetime than continued use of a preventative? i could be completely off base with that theory though. :thumb:

I've owned 3 dogs in the south here, and 2 of them were on HW preventative 8 months out of the year.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

There are holistic treatments for heartworm should the need arise. I don't see it happening though. For fleas and worms we use Diatamceous earth - we feed it one week per month through Spring and Summer though I know people who feed it every day. For ticks I use 1/3 alcohol to 2/3 water in a spray bottle - I spray the dogs bellies and legs before going into a possible high tick/mosquito area, like when we go to the lake or when camping. I believe it helps with fleas also.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I've heard of black walnut oil for HW treatment. My mentor does not do flea/tick treatment (he uses cedar oil) and no HW either. 


I always hear DE being brought up, but I hear it used externally...and internally. I need to do some research on it, cause I still don't know what the hell it is lol.


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## Kbug (Oct 23, 2011)

Tobi said:


> I'm with Liz... oregon/wa/idaho, it might not be necessary at all. or at some point the treatment of the HW's might be easier on the dog once in a lifetime than continued use of a preventative? i could be completely off base with that theory though. :thumb:


Very wrong. The treatment can kill the dog if care isn't taken, and it is super expensive. My Aerith is currently getting heartworm treatment. The vet quoted me almost $500 for it. The reason it is so dangerous is because they kill the worms and then they have no where to be expelled to and have to be broken down by the body. The dead worms can flow out of the heart and block off circulation in various parts of the body. Aerith will be on 'bed rest' for an entire month.

Kbug


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

The black walnut is only used on dogs who have tested positive for heart worm as it is a treatment not a preventative. There are heart worm nosodes available which I would use if I lived in a more heart worm prevalent area. Diatomaceous earth is found at feed stores. We use it in the house, the yard, the exercise pen, between mattresses, under sofa cushions, in the car and the porch. I feed it to the dogs - 1 tsp for the shelties and 2 tablespoons for the collies for 7 days per month every month of Spring and Summer. I hope that helps a bit.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I lived in southern California and I now live in Washington and we have never had a dog get heartworm. I wasn't on top of everything back then like I am now and I still don't use HW meds. 

Our vet says not to bother with it but to keep an ear open and, if we hear about some cases of heartworm, treat our dogs, but other than that she isn't worried about it.

I read this the other day. I don't know how much of this is true but I think it would be an interesting read for those researching heartworm meds. I would also love to hear others' thoughts on it.

And Monkeys, if you feel that I am hijacking the thread, just say so and I will move my post to it's own thread. I just thought you might be interested.

- Terrierman's Daily Dose -


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I'm going to look into it.

I know this is probably stupid...but what exactly...is it??? A mineral???


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

"Diatomaceous Earth," which is a fossilized deposit of microscopic shells created by one celled plants called Diatoms.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

wow haha. 

Do you find it locally? I've seen it on Amazon, the food grade variety...


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

monkeys23 said:


> So I've used Interceptor every summer since getting my own dog (so for the last four years) like a good dog owner. Now with the continual financial element, my research into holistic animal care, and actually taking a look at the AHWS's incidence stats... yeah why do vets recommend hw preventative in this area if its so minimal? Seriously!?
> 
> I'm in ID, so thoughts from people in ID, WA, etc.? Do you use preventative here? It would be nice to spend that $90 on food for us instead of Interceptor...
> 
> ...


I don't mean to be argumentative, but ANYTHING you feed or put on your dog is broken down into chemicals. It doesn't matter to a dog or a person's body whether that chemical comes from ACV or from a pill: in the end the body doesn't differentiate.

Also, just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it can't be harmful. Nor does "natural" mean it's necessarily better or more pure. 

Heartworm is a very real problem for dogs, unless you live in a climate that never gets above freezing. Giving your dog heartworm preventative during the warmer months is a heck of a lot cheaper than having to treat it when it GETS heartworm. Not to mention the damage the heartworm does to the dog's heart.

FWIW, my sister uses anti-heartworm meds on her dog in the Summer up in Canada; we have no choice but to use it year 'round down here in FL.

As for fleas & ticks... they are opportunistic parasites that will attach themselves to anything warmblooded, regardless of how "healthy" the animal is. So it's the fact that you are using something Frontline (or similar) on your dogs as opposed to how "healthy" they are that keeps the bugs away.

C'mon people... let's not get the "holistic" or "natural" hysteria make us lose sight of the fact that we are the custodians of our dogs' health. And that we should do everything we can to keep them healthy & happy.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> I lived in southern California and I now live in Washington and we have never had a dog get heartworm. I wasn't on top of everything back then like I am now and I still don't use HW meds.
> 
> Our vet says not to bother with it but to keep an ear open and, if we hear about some cases of heartworm, treat our dogs, but other than that she isn't worried about it.
> 
> ...


That was very interesting. Thanks for posting!


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Kbug said:


> Very wrong. The treatment can kill the dog if care isn't taken, and it is super expensive. My Aerith is currently getting heartworm treatment. The vet quoted me almost $500 for it. The reason it is so dangerous is because they kill the worms and then they have no where to be expelled to and have to be broken down by the body. The dead worms can flow out of the heart and block off circulation in various parts of the body. Aerith will be on 'bed rest' for an entire month.
> 
> Kbug


I've also seen dogs come out of it very easily down here, working with local rescues i've been around many treated animals, treatments down here range around 150-250$ i wouldn't consider that super expensive. A month of bed rest is normal for HW positive dogs as i understand it.


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