[LuvourGSDs]

Ok......get so confused here on when to test & all ! Not sure, but thought if a dog was bit, it wouldn't show up for 6 months or so........correct or not ?

Just wondering because when we rescued our boy back in Dec., the vet said, not the right time to be testing because if he was just bit, it wouldn't show up. I wanted him tested anyway & the test showed neg., but knew we would have to test again to make sure come this Spring !

So, if we adopted him in Dec. & tested the first time in Dec., when should we request to re-test him ?

Also, is it best to keep them on HW med year around ?

~Thanks~

 

[arycrest]

Did you put him on a HW preventative in December after he was tested negative?

The Hooligans are on HW preventative 12 months a year.

 

[middleofnowhere]

These are questions best answered by your vet. Here, we have mosquitos year round so my dogs are on HW meds year round. Generally vets like to test before they give the HW meds. Down here, I test every now and again. The eldest had a heart murmur show up so we did a HW test to make sure it wasn't HW (meds aren't 100% effective.)

 

[JenM66]

Where I work (and if you didn't know the mosquito is the state bird of New Jersey

) we recommend year round HW preventative and we test annually before renewing the prescription just to be safe.

 

[kularing]

I adopted my foster Mila who is from South Carolina. She was tested down there a yr ago January. The test came out negative. I had her on heartworm preventative yr round. When I took her to the vet for her annual shot this January her heartworm test came out positive. I was told she must have gotten bit before her shot and that it wont show up on the hw test for 6 months. Kind of scary.
She is now going through the treatments. Her last round of shots is next week, so we have about one more month of being in our kennel and kept quiet.
You would think in this day and age they would have better tests!

 

[mmiller]

The benifits of year round heartworm prevention grossly outweight not keeping them on the preventative yearly. Not only does the heartworm preventative help with the prevention of heartworms but it also keeps other intestinal parasites at bay. SO you are covered in several areas...only makes sense to keep them on it year round. Then if you decide to have them re-checked, which I would advise, you know you have done the best you can to protect your pet in several areas. I know that if you use Interceptor and your dog turns up heartworm positive the company will pay for treatment.

 

[Papanapa]

Our dogs have to be kept on heartworm preventative year round. They are tested once a year to be safe. BOTH of our Chessies had heartworm even though they were on the pills. It must not have been interceptor because we had to pay for the treatments for both of them. Our vet said they can still contract heartworm even though they are on the pill.

 

[Maedchen]

I test every spring. Since the worst mosquito time is from July through Sept., I usually test in April.
.....which reminds me, I have to go pretty soon.

 

[JenM66]

Originally Posted By: mmiller Not only does the heartworm preventative help with the prevention of heartworms but it also keeps other intestinal parasites at bay.

If using Heartgard, only the Heartgard PLUS gives the added protection. Due to a reaction to PLUS Gracie is on the Heartgard pills which do not prevent parasites. Her stool has to be checked twice a year, rather than annually. I am giving this just as advice - as I didn't realize it for several months - duh!!!!

 

[LuvourGSDs]

Originally Posted By: ArycrestDid you put him on a HW preventative in December after he was tested negative?

The Hooligans are on HW preventative 12 months a year.

The vet did give us something (not sure now......wasn't Interceptor though) in pill form for Dec. to turn around 1 month later to give again. So, something in Dec. & Jan., but nothing since.

When should I retest him for anything (if anything) to show up ? Is it 6 months (ahead) after they have been bit ? So, if he was a stray running in Oct. & got bit, then should show up in a test in Apr., correct ? IF bit in Nov., then it wouldn't show up till May ????? Not sure if I have this part correct ?

Good to know about Interceptor...........I have alway been on this med, but just switched. I feel probably should go back to using & paying the extra $1.00 !!



BTW,

How about those that have *many* fur friends & the cost of buying pills ? Anyone treat with a Ivomec bought at Tractor Supply or a feed store & do you own treatmant ? If so, how about other worms they still can get, whips, rounds, etc ? I have heard this way ONLY gets the HW, but not other worms. http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/...istingPage=true


I'm not sure 100% how the dogs get all them other worms (other than from each other) to know if we are at risk if we do our own HW treatment !

I have heard of people giving the Ivomec & wasn't sure on this ??? Anyone use this method ? Just mix with water since a powder, know dogs weight, & dose ? How does this seem to work on dogs since made for cattle ? Does this way effect the dogs in any neg. way ???? Do you still HW test, how often, & have you had good results ?


Thanks much !!!

 

[gagsd]

From Am J Vet Res...
Activity of ivermectin against canine intestinal helminths.Anderson DL, Roberson EL.
The anthelmintic activity of ivermectin was tested in 98 dogs against adult ascarids (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina), hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum, A braziliense), and whipworms (Trichuris vulpis), and against experimentally induced infections (4th-stage larvae) of T canis and A caninum. Dosage levels tested were single subcutaneous injections of 50, 100, 200, or 400 micrograms/kg of body weight with appropriate vehicle-treated controls. A minimum of 4 (usually 5) dogs were tested with each parasite and dosage level. The lowest dosage level, 50 micrograms/kg, and all higher dosage levels expelled greater than 99% of the adult forms of both species of hookworms and intestinal larval forms of A caninum, as determined by worm counts at necropsy. A dosage level of 100 micrograms/kg was required to expel greater than 99% of whipworms and 200 micrograms/kg was necessary to expel adult (91%) and larval (97%) stages of T canis. Ivermectin was only marginally effective (34.2%, 46.2%, 69.2%, and 53.8%) against Toxascaris leonina at 50, 100, 200, and 400 micrograms/kg, respectively, and had no effect against occasional infections with the tapeworms, Dipylidium caninum (14 dogs) and Taenia spp (3 dogs).

PMID: 6897345 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

So Ivermectin does get some other worms at higher doses, it also treats mange.
I use it and have never had a problem. A friend who breeds Aussies has used it for 30 years with no problems.
However, you can get less expensive heartworm pills from totalpetsupply.com. They take about 2 weeks to ship.

And you have the 6 month retest correct. The test actually checks for adult, female worms. It can take up to 6 months for the adult worms to mature.

 

[melonyjhsn]

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/ Has a lot of info on HW, the lifecycle, and the ways it’s treated.

As far as Ivomec goes… Ivomec is a brand name for the drug ivermectin. Ivermectin comes in different dilutions, mixed with other drugs (that can be very dangerous for dogs), and it also is sold under different brand names. You’ve got some good questions here but not a working understanding of how to use it so please ask a vet for more information on the specifics.

I do use it on my crew am happy with it so far. It does cover some worms but not others so you do have to be mindful of that. I test yearly for HWs and do yearly fecal tests as well. That should be part of any annual visit no matter what kind of prevention a dog is on.

 

[LuvourGSDs]

Thanks so far !

So, people still test yearly even though they keep them on HW meds yr. round ? If so, why would it matter if you do yr. round or not, if you still test ? I would think if on the med all yr. round, then you should be good.

On the other type of worms dogs pick-up, besides whips & hooks, what others are there & how dog the dogs get such worms ? I know HW is from misquito (sp?) bites ! Seems like there are lots of worms.

 

[arycrest]

Originally Posted By: LuvourGSsThanks so far !

So, people still test yearly even though they keep them on HW meds yr. round ? If so, why would it matter if you do yr. round or not, if you still test ? I would think if on the med all yr. round, then you should be good.

On the other type of worms dogs pick-up, besides whips & hooks, what others are there & how dog the dogs get such worms ? I know HW is from misquito (sp?) bites ! Seems like there are lots of worms.

The Hooligans are on HW prevetative 12 months a year and I have them tested every two years. Why? Just because stuff happens - nothing is foolproof, even HW preventative medications. Personally, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[melonyjhsn]

The idea behind seasonal prevention is that there are times of the year where the temperature is too low for a active mosquito population or for the microfilaria a mosquito ingests from a HW+ dog to mature and be passed on to the next dog bitten. There is a lot of guess work and playing the odds involved when making this choice. HW prevention isn’t that expensive any way and it’s better to give prevention year around then running the risk of contracting it during the ’off’ season.

HW treatment is also complicated and very expensive- even obscene in some places up north. My vet would be $350 for just the treatment and the hospital stay. The price goes up if a dog needs more tests- blood work, ultrasounds, ect.. Then there’s the for 4-8 weeks of exercise restrictions… BTDT with some fosters and it’s not fun for dogs or their owners. Treatment is also dangerous and more then a few dogs have died in the process. It’s just not worth it to take the chance.

Yearly HW tests are useful to make sure that the type of prevention that is used is working. Manufactures screw up sometimes and lots make it on the market that are not effective. Human error comes into play too. People can forget to give the prevention every month and miss the time frame when it’s most effective in killing off the microfilaria. If you don’t test then your not going to know if you have a problem. Tests are pretty inexpensive and worth it for the peace of mind IMO.

 

[BowWowMeow]

There is no guesswork involved in the mosquito season when you live in a climate with four seasons. The ingredients in heartworm preventative are poison. There is no reason to give a dog that poison when there are no mosquitoes alive. Here there are anywhere from 4-6 months where we have no mosquitoes. Heartgard works backwards for 45 days. I notice when the first mosquitoes come out and then start 30 days later, just to be safe. After that I give the pill 45 days later. I stop giving the pill 45 days after the mosquitoes disappear, so usually November 15th is my last pill. Some years it's later though. Some years I start June 1st and other years later or earlier.

I do not give Heartguard Plus because I do not need to continuously de-worm my dogs. Again, I'm making a choice about what goes into their bodies. If they get worms (which has happened once in the twenty years I've had dogs) then I will treat for those specific worms.

I test every three years unless I have any doubt about whether I gave the pill late.

 

[gagsd]

Hooks, whips and rounds generally come from the environment (soil, feces, etc.) or from the mother, while tapes come from fleas. There is also coccidia that also is environmental, although not a worm.
Mary

 

[LuvourGSDs]

Originally Posted By: gagsd_pup1Hooks, whips and rounds generally come from the environment (soil, feces, etc.) or from the mother, while tapes come from fleas. There is also coccidia that also is environmental, although not a worm.
Mary

Thanks Mary !

So, if living in a wooded area where the dogs do tend to eat poop & love deer poo for some reason, best to keep them on yr. round meds I wonder ?

I understand where your coming from Ruth about giving too much & that's me ! I'm not a pill taker & never have been a pill/med giver to my boys !

I fealt, if so cold out, then no bugs out ! I have done HW (Interceptor) for yrs. & just the last 2 yrs. cut back in the winter. With doing that this yr. & now needing to test each dog (4 @ $20.00 each), I wondered if it was worth it now to stop for a few months !!!!!

Does anyone use Interceptor or the Iverhart Max ? I have not used or heard of Heartguard.

I'm wondering if I should just take my stash back of Iverhart Max & go back to Interceptor ? I just went with Iverhart Max because of being a $1.00 less & it covering a certain worm that Interceptor didn't cover & the vet said, they seen more of.

When having 4 dogs can get $$$, but not too bad. I have heard of the Ivomec way & still up in the air about doing.

 

[melonyjhsn]

Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowThere is no guesswork involved in the mosquito season when you live in a climate with four seasons.

Really? Then what's this --->

Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowHere there are anywhere from 4-6 months where we have no mosquitoes. Heartgard works backwards for 45 days. I notice when the first mosquitoes come out and then start 30 days later, just to be safe. After that I give the pill 45 days later. I stop giving the pill 45 days after the mosquitoes disappear, so usually November 15th is my last pill. Some years it's later though. Some years I start June 1st and other years later or earlier.

Guesswork! An educated one but you’re still guessing.

All it takes is a little unseasonable warm weather and one mosquito.

 

[gagsd]

Heartgard: main ingredient ivermectin-gets heartworms
Heartgard Plus: ivermectin and pyrantel pamoate-gets heartworms, hooks and rounds
Iverhart Plus: ivermectin and pyrantel pamoate-gets hearts, hooks, rounds
Iverhart Max: ivermectin/pyrantel pamoate/praziquantel--gets hearts, hooks, rounds and tapes
Interceptor: milbemycin oxime--gets hearts, hooks, rounds, whips
Ivomec: liquid ivermectin from feed stores

and then there is albon which gets coccidia. Not really a worm but it is a parasite.
Metronidazole is about 67% effective in treating whipworms.
Fenbendazole is about 90% effective against whips (as well as most other parasites).

You can just run a fecal sample in to your vet clinic every 6 months or so rather than deworming routinely w/o knowing what parasites they may have.

Saving money--jefferspet.com, totalpetsupply.com or other online pharmacies. Get your vet to write you a prescription.

I absolutely keep my guys on heartworm meds year round.

Mary