poor little buddy

[tha bugman]

My main duck grabber is going to be out of commission for the entire duck season. He has been diagnosed with heartworms and is undergoing treatment. Don't know how it happened as I am like clockwork with his meds. This will be the first time since he was old enough to hunt that he won't be with me.....get well soon old timer!

[KWAKHED]

Hate to hear that. I am starting treatment on my Boston terrier next week. Been using heartguard and this makes the second dog on it that has gotten heartworms. Needless to say we have swapped to something else. Hope all works out well.

[mfalkner]

Happened to us once, it's a bummer but take good care of him during the treatment/recovery. I've been very lucky with mine for several years now, I use liquid Ivomec. Skeeters not real bad around our place so that helps.

[franny131]

I don't know if it will help, but I've started using these citronella plastic grids about 5" x 5" hanging up in the kennel, high enough so the labs can't reach it, but hope it will keep skeeters off of them at nite.

[Northbigmuddy]

My family has had two dogs treated for heartworms with limited success. Both were on heartgard. The treatment is tough. I have heard a local vet does a "slow kill" method. You can keep the dogs normal routine including hunting. Two of my buddies have used him and their dogs have a clean bill of health.

A vet friend of mine said the research backing heartgard was done years ago and in "normal" conditions. In other words a few mosquito bites over an hour. My dog gets hit that much in a few minutes. I went with the proheart shot to limit the month to month fluctuations in protection. It has worked so far.

[franny131]

Talking with my vet this week, he was telling me about a lab they used Advantage Multi for 6 mos, she is clean now. I have used it on my girl for the past 2 yrs. She was heartworm positive with what they called stage 5 ? Now has a very light case, and getting better. So I'm leaving her on it, she is older and wouldn't want to risk the treatment for heartworms.

[tha bugman]

the latter stages of the treatment sound very rough....

Talking with my vet this week, he was telling me about a lab they used Advantage Multi for 6 mos, she is clean now. I have used it on my girl for the past 2 yrs. She was heartworm positive with what they called stage 5 ? Now has a very light case, and getting better. So I'm leaving her on it, she is older and wouldn't want to risk the treatment for heartworms.

[franny131]

I could take her to get treated, but don't see the use in putting her thru that. At her age it would be very hard. And she is improving. What's more, she has never had symptoms, for that I am thankful. She seems strong in all ways. I'm keeping her on it. I looked into those monthly shots, and was considering that when I read of 3 dogs that died within days of getting it. Mine are staying on ivermectin, if any ever test positive then I'm switchin them to AM. That's the only plan I have for right now.

[rsm688]

Proheart or Advantage Multi is the way to go nowadays (same chemical, 6 month injectable vs monthly topical). I give away all the free heartguard I give to girl friends with indoor dogs. I personally use ProHeart for my dogs as its just twice a year and I tend to forget monthly prevention (one reason lots of dogs get heartworms is forgetful owners).

Slow kill is usually advantage multi or proheart and often with the addition of doxycycline for a while, usually works pretty well and is very cheap (just your normal monthly heartworm treatment and if they add in doxy its super cheap as well)

Immiticide is the fast kill, knocks them out quickly so your dog is fully recovered sooner but is not cheap. I found a beagle on the side of the road a year ago (best blood/deer dog ive ever seen) that had heartworms and immiticide knocked it out, 6 months later all negative heartworm tests.

-spencer-

[greenheadman1]

Man I feel your pain, I've got to take my 6.5 year old back Monday for a re-test after a "slight" positive 2 weeks ago...I'm hoping and praying that it was a "false" positive. I've had her on Heartguard since 6 months, but I will certainly be looking at something else after all this.

My vet talked to me about the Antiobotic for 30 Days/ Injections for 3 months which would basically mean keeping her locked up for 3 months according to him. Those 3 months are Nov, Dec, Jan if we start the tretment soon! I'm pretty bummed out myself.

I would be interested in hearing more about this "slow kill" method..

[franny131]

The slow kill method is very simple, it's just advantage multi every month and a course of doxycycline at the beginning. The doxy weakens a parasite that lives inside the heartworm and helps to eliminate it at least that is my understanding. So you are only paying for the monthly HW treatment anyway, a little doxy is cheap. It works slowly without harming the dog, and you won't have to pen up. My girl is doing fine so far even tho she still has a lite case.

[99beers]

The slow kill method is very simple, it's just advantage multi every month and a course of doxycycline at the beginning. The doxy weakens a parasite that lives inside the heartworm and helps to eliminate it at least that is my understanding. So you are only paying for the monthly HW treatment anyway, a little doxy is cheap. It works slowly without harming the dog, and you won't have to pen up. My girl is doing fine so far even tho she still has a lite case.

this method will keep them light positive, but you will will never rid them with out treatment. They will show clear, then bam, back light positive....

[franny131]

That may be true, I don't know for sure, but my vet has treated more than one, and has had some test negative for HW.