I use Heartgard Plus and have for years because I live in Florida where mosquitos are a year-round problem. In the last few years we are required to have a blood test for heartworms even though my dog is on the medication every month. Which makes me wonder why I need the medication if there's a chance my dog may still be infested with heartworms, otherwise, why the required blood test?

 

yes I give my dogs Ivercare 1.87% for horses, which the vets would rather not tell anyone about (for obvious reasons.) The Ivercare paste is low cost and provides several treatments; just measure it per lbs, spread it on a yummy such as meat, and divide by number of dogs.

Other people might use the Ivermectin for cows.

http://www.geocities.com/theslsc/hartzvalleyfarms.html

 

We have been giving our GSD a preventative heart worm that our vet recommeneded and gave us. It is Heartgard plus. We give him 1 chew tablet monthly starting in May through October, and then in the winter months, we don't give him any. And then start it up again the following May. May through October here in Colorado seems to be the high season of parasites in dogs, at least that is what we were told. I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my babies, I also take them in once a year for a regular check up to make sure all is well. Yes, I am sure I am a little paranoid, but I treat their health like I treat my own. Besides we have a really good realationship with our vet and she has been their doc since wee pups, she loves to see how they have grown each year.

 

Yes, Charlie gets his monthly on his bday. It will remain like that as long as he is alive, which I wish it was forever

 

Chance gets his pills every month, all year. While my moms 3 dogs have lived their lives clear of it with nothing (First time in 10 years Zoey was actually tested and luckily was negitive as well as the 6 and 3 year olds being negitives) I don't want to chance it. When we found Sampson he had heartworms and he had to have limited exercise (He could walk maybe 20min a day in a slow walk and when he'd try to play with Chance he'd end up with a weird (loud) noise and panting before he should have. (5-10min into playing) I can't imagine Chance ever living a happy life with such limited exercise and due to not giving him something to prevent it. Since we now live across the street from a pond and have a LOT of wetlands around us, therefore more mosquitoes, it's even more reason to keep it up all year.

 

We live in New England and we give our dogs Iverhart Max year round which my vet prefers over Heartguard (although they seemed to like the taste of the Heartguard better).

It seems like everytime I read a story about a dog in rescue the poor thing is diagnosed with heartworm--it sounds like a dreadful disease--so we want to do whatever we can to prevent it

I remember about 20 years ago it used to be a daily pill until they came up with the monthly pill (and then later the cheweables). So its gotten a lot easier!

 

we use it. my GF gives it to them so i don't know how often or what kind.

 

My dogs are on Heartgard year round. Mosquitos seem to never quit in SC! I am very leery of the ProHeart injection. I don't see how the drug company made it safe enough to get it back on the market. So monthly pills it is!

 

My dogs have always received the Interceptor May-Nov. with no ill effects as far as I know. Better safe than sorry! Lyme is very common and my last GSD tested positive but never became ill from the disease itself.

 

Our previous GSDs never got any heartworm preventatives, however...
I worked as a vet technician for a year until I got deeper into my college education and had to be a student only. One day a woman brought in her dog to us, the dog was dead. She asked us to find the cause of his death as he seemed fine. Needless to say it was heartworms. Seeing that picture has *nothing* on what a heartworm infested heart looks like in real life. From now on *all* our GSDs get heartworm prevention.

 

yes! I can't imagine the devastation that comes from finding out your dog has heartworms, especially when it is 100% preventable by us! Interceptor is what we use.

 

Yes either heartguard, sentinel or Advantage Multi. ONE of the advantages of being a vet tech-- free product!!!

 

Yes, we use Heartguard.

 

Yes! Being in Alabama where there are tons of mosquitos year round (it was 80 here on Saturday

) it's a necessity. After working in a vet's office for years, I've seen how many poor puppies pass on because they didn't receive a monthly heartworm pill.

We even fell into this when I was in college, couldn't afford HWP (heart worm pill) for one month and Duncan our shep mix got them...in one month! After two years of a less invasive treatment he's HW free.

We use Sentinel, since it's flea prevention as well and therefore cheaper than buying a HWP and a flea preventative.

Anna will start her puppy Sentinel today actually!

 

Yes, Joe takes Interceptor monthly.

 

they get heartworm treat once a month

 

Mine are all on heart worm preventative, dogs down here are at a huge risk for heart worms. I use ivermectin, a friend who does grey hound rescue taught me how much to use and my vet backed up the information and gave the go ahead. With so many dogs the pills were costing a fortune ( I was buying them and my bank account made a little choking sound every time I wrote the check). Now only the little guys get heartguard now, the others are all on the dose of straight ivermectin.

 

all mine are in Interceptor

 

Ours are on HG Plus year-round. Our male was heartworm positive when we adopted him, and he had to go thru those brutal treatments. We are in a heavy-heartworm prone area, so they stay on year-round.

 

Yes.

 

Originally Posted By: AniadoubleThis is an issue that I've been debating on for a while, but I came to a decision.

I am now NOT vaccinating any more (except for 3 year rabies) and I’ve also stopped giving them heartworm and flee preventive. I’ve discussed this with a holistic vet and the consensus of most holistic vets it that THE PREVENTIVES ARE MORE HARMFULL THAN THE DISEASE.

IF a dog should get heartworms, they are easily treatable (if you catch it early; with yearly or 6 months tests). There are also natural preventives, which I will use, and there are natural cures, which are not as hard on the dog’s system as the conventional ones.

I just can’t justify poisoning my dogs on regular bases JUST IN CASE….. and I'm comfortable with that.

Ania

I agree with this poster and do the same myself.

After being taught a lot by a homeopathic vet I went to 100% raw feeding, no HW or flea/tick meds and no more vax. My guys all have their 1 rabies and that's it.
I'm a firm believer in letting one's own natural immunities develop. This all came about after I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and went the natural way for myself. I have no doubt it saved my life. Why wouldn't I want to do the same for my dogs?
BTW, one of my rescues was HW+ when I first got him as a foster. 2 1/2yrs later he is the picture of health after I treated him naturally.
Also, none of mine have had any fleas or ticks in ages.

Jihad
and the pound puppy crew.

 

YES...Sentinel Monthly

 

<span style='font-size: 11pt'>Yes - Heartguard Plus (monthly, year round)</span>

 

I give my guys Interceptor but not once a month. I have discussed this with my vet and the pills are actually active for 5 to 6 weeks but they instruct everyone give them once a month so you remember to give it.

I chose to give them every 45 days (just mark it on my calendar when I have to administer them) and have never had an issue of heartworms with any of my dogs. I have been doing this for years. I have them tested annually to continue to get my prescription renewed by the vet. With 3 dogs it gets costly and this does save me a little bit of money each year and also saves on the poison that we have to administer to them to keep them heart worm free.

Not sure I would go without them as I did have a dog 20 years ago that got heartworms and the treatment is not pretty or at least back then it wasn't. Never want to put another poor dog through something like that again.

 

Yes, monthly.