# Good read about heartworm medication



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Heartworm Medication Part 1: Truths, Omissions and Profits


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

interesting article - but we know dogs DO get heartworms. So I hope they are not saying you don't need to give a healthy dog heartworm meds? Or are they? Not sure.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

I came across a similar site a few days ago. Natural Heartworm Prevention They are pro raw for dogs too


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Alright well, now I don't know what to do. Spring is just around the corner, and that means bugs...reading articles like this gets me all undecisive.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

i think its basically telling people that you dont need your dog on heartworm meds 24/7 unless you live in specific areas and that your area plays a big part.
like for someone like me who lives in an area where we only deal with misquitos 3 months out of the year thats the only time we should be medicating our dogs or like if you live in a place like a city where theres not very many mosquitos at all in the summer and yoru dogs not an outdoor dog you should be fine not medicating
though i could be wrong but thats how i take it


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

I disagree with this statement from the article, "While everyone agrees that heartworm infestations can be life-threatening, infestation is far from inevitable nor is it the immutable death sentence advertisers would have you believe. (Otherwise, all dogs and cats not on meds would die of infestation. But they don’t.)"

That's silly. If the dog has heartworms and never gets treatment, he will die from the disease should another disease, accident, or act of God not kill him first. I can also state, that in my part of country my vet averages 1 heartworm positive dog per week. Mind you, that is only that one clinic. I feel it is a big risk not to give preventative.

I do not treat for fleas, but I do give HW meds monthly. I would be ok with a 45 day schedule as well.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm not going to stop giving heartworm meds, but I do think I am going to stretch it out to 60 days.


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

xellil said:


> I'm not going to stop giving heartworm meds, but I do think I am going to stretch it out to 60 days.


Good.

You would never want to see Snorkels, for example, experiencing the following symptoms:

Coughing, unable to run or play without getting out of breath, dull coat, shedding, slight pot belly, slightly enlarged heart due to infestation, lethargy, and uncontrollable coughing after anesthesia post dental. 

On top of that...the treatment is horrid and the aftercare is long and stressful. 

Forgive me for being a tad biased... :smile:


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## dustinshaw98 (Feb 22, 2012)

Unosmom said:


> Heartworm Medication Part 1: Truths, Omissions and Profits


Thanks for sharing this. This is very helpful!


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## twotonelover (Jan 10, 2011)

Lots of good information.  I live very close to a pond, so I still treat my dog but I only do it after the temp remains above 57 steadily. I also treat every 45 days rather than every month. So I end up only treating my dog about 4 times a year. If I lived closer to the city, or in an area where there were not many mosquitoes, I'd probably only treat once every 60 days during peak months.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Heres part 2:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/heartworm-medication-part-2/


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> Heres part 2:
> Heartworm Medication Part 2: Options to Fear-Based Recommendations


Very interesting. Unlike the article from a previous thread, they are saying 45-60 days rather than three months.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Unosmom said:


> Heres part 2:
> Heartworm Medication Part 2: Options to Fear-Based Recommendations



I copied that FDA article they talked about and that's the second time that I've read that you can reduce the Interceptor dose significantly. It's nice to have the actual FDA report in black and white to read. Since they are no longer making it, I think I am going to cut up Rocky's remaining Interceptor into quarters and and reduce his dose but still give it to him every 45 days. It says they only need 1/5 the amount that they are prescribed so 1/4 tab should be plenty for him. It's really hard to know what to do here, since we have had such a bizarre winter with 85 degree days and then 30 degree days. According to their report, theoretically I don't actually have to give preventative except from june to december, but we've ALWAYS been told year round and every month in this state. 

I am going to start taking the dogs to the holistic vet that is an hour drive from here. He feeds raw and is getting rave reviews. It's a far drive but since they only go to the vet once a year or less now, it's not that big a deal to drive them there and I will feel better getting his opinion on things then the local vet.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Inceptor is still sold in Canada, I know in Ontario it is made in Guelph or Mississauga I believe. I dont want to do revolution, I would rather treat for fleas a more natural way like using diametacious earth (sp?) and for HW use Inceptor every 45 days. 

Chowder, so what your saying is the dose vets give dogs is actually more then what a dog needs? So would I give half a full dose of the Inceptor if that is what I decide to use? All this HW and flea/tick stuff is SO confusing!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Kat said:


> Inceptor is still sold in Canada, I know in Ontario it is made in Guelph or Mississauga I believe. I dont want to do revolution, I would rather treat for fleas a more natural way like using diametacious earth (sp?) and for HW use Inceptor every 45 days.
> 
> Chowder, so what your saying is the dose vets give dogs is actually more then what a dog needs? So would I give half a full dose of the Inceptor if that is what I decide to use? All this HW and flea/tick stuff is SO confusing!


I wanted to halve the Heartguard I give to Snorkels - it is up to 25 pounds and she weighs 10 pounds.

My vet told me she didn't recommend that as the actual HW medication could be concentrated on one end of the chew and very little be on the other.

Whether that's true, i have absolutely no idea.

you're right, I am totally confused. I feel like i'm either poisoning my dogs or risking their lives.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Kat said:


> Chowder, so what your saying is the dose vets give dogs is actually more then what a dog needs? So would I give half a full dose of the Inceptor if that is what I decide to use? All this HW and flea/tick stuff is SO confusing!



Here is the link to the FDA report on the main ingredient in Interceptor and the approved dosage where they say it is actually .05mg/lb for heartworms. They actually dose it much higher because they are killing hookworms and other worms but if you only want to kill heartworms, you only have to give the lower dose. 


"RECOMMENDED DOSAGES:	SAFEHEART Tablets are given orally, once a month, at the recommended minimum
dosage of 0.1 mg milbemycin oxime per kg of body weight (0.05 mg/lb)."


NADA 140-915 Safeheart? - supplemental approval (June 4, 1998)


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Yeah its so frustrating, I just dont trust what my vet says with that kind of stuff. Some vets really over-medicate. And yeah, the weight class for meds is quite far spread. The revolution dose Ruby had was for 5.1-10kg, quite a difference.

Does Interceptor also help with worms too, like round/whip/hook? Or just heartworm? Because if I do end up using Interceptor, the only thing I would have to worry about it a natural flea preventive like the DE or water with ACV and tea trea and eucalyptus oil.


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## lovemydogsalways (Mar 4, 2012)

I give Heartgard Plus on the first of every month. It is an easy way to remember. I am wondering if I should try to spread it out to every 45 days. In Iowa they show 6-25 cases/clinic. One of our clients told us today of her son's dog that is undergoing HW treatment. They were not giving any preventative. Kinda scares me because they live only a few towns away, which tells me the carrier mosquitos are around. Emma, my lab, for sure should have it IMO because she is a hunting dog and around water allot. I also take Patches swimming many times throughout the summer. I still feel safer given preventative. Not sure about stopping it during the cold months because we had a really screwy winter here.
I am just rambling now LOL Sorry thanks for the links!


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Good reads, we haven't given heart worm meds since October... we just gave our first because we have started hiking a lot again, and we are always near bodies of water, i'm going to invest in some bug spray and things, because i'm not comfortable with giving him the poison either. Usually i go every 45 days'ish I'm going to start contacting some holistic vets in the area (5 hours from us) and see what they have to say about it, and what our best options are for the area.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Coming from someone with a dog that is allergic to ivernectian, I do not give it. One of my other dogs used to have seizures from ivermectin. I don't use any heart worm brand prevention and haven't for a few years. I take extra precautions and get extra heart worm tests. Spray the dogs with a mix the vet recommended, stay in at peak hours, ect. I'm thinking of getting heartworm free. Its an all natural hw Med. But I'm not sure if it is prevention or treatment?


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I have to put my 50 cents in.. I have lived in Florida my whole life and in S Fl is the worst for sketters I live on a marsh...can't get any worse than that..lol I give my dogs meds only when it gets buggy and hot, less than half the year. knock on wood but so far my doggies are good. So I only treat when the skeeters are really bad and even then only ever 6 to 8 weeks.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Im thinking of trying to go HW and flea med free. Reading the full article the OP posted, I think Ruby is a low risk candidate for HW. I never walk her at dawn or dusk. Especially in the summers, if its too hot or humid I take her out to do her business and then back inside to the wonderful A/C. If I do decide to do this, I would get her tested twice this year instead of just once for HW. We do live by the lake, but honestly, there werent many mosquitos last year, I only got bitten like once or twice. If anything, I would spray her with ACV+water+eucalyptus/tea tree oil, as it would help to repel mosquitos. Still looking to get my hands on some DE too. Ahhh so many different routes to take, I keep changing my mind >.<


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