OT : Heartworm pills for dogs

[jellero]

i have given my dogs heartworm pills for many years. this year, after giving my pup pills since april i was out. now the vets all want to do a checkup, "we like to do a checkup before dispensing any medications". plus they like to do a HW test... the total is over $100 then i am allowed to give them $48 for the pills.
i asked a neighbor where he gets his HW pills and he didn't know what i was talking about, never gave them to his dog. have i been brainwashed into thinking i should give these? are they really needed? i just read that it has to be at least 57 degrees all day and night for the possibility of HW to even exist. j

[Edgewood]

I inherited an older dog that had heartworm. He had to go through the treatment. It was very hard on him. This was in norcal. . I now live in the pnw. There are very few mosquitoes here. The new dog is not on the medication.

[Matt J]

I inherited an older dog that had heartworm. He had to go through the treatment. It was very hard on him. This was in norcal. . I now live in the pnw. There are very few mosquitoes here. The new dog is not on the medication.

How many mosquitoes do you think it takes to infect your dog?

The medication is dangerous to the dog if it is already infected. That's why they insist on testing before starting the preventative meds.

I think it breaks down to how much you value the animal. I don't think it's a big vet conspiracy. Here, let me google it for you...

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/heartworms-in-dogs-facts-and-myths

[revloren]

Yeah, it depends where you live. Higher elevations/colder climates are at less risk for heartworms.

A rule of thumb might be that if you live where fleas are not a problem, you are probably OK. But caution that this is just hearsay from a layman.

[jellero]

How many mosquitoes do you think it takes to infect your dog?

The medication is dangerous to the dog if it is already infected. That's why they insist on testing before starting the preventative meds.

I think it breaks down to how much you value the animal. I don't think it's a big vet conspiracy. Here, let me google it for you...

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/hea...acts-and-myths

"how much i value the animal?" don't dump that on me, it's bull****. i value her enough to not want to give her unneeded medications that could harm or kill her. in the first place it isn't caused by all mosquitoes. it is caused by INFECTED mosquitoes. so somebody comes through from a lower elevation with an infected dog, a mosquito bites the dog, then bites my dog. that could cause the infection. pretty iffy, especially considering that chance against the dangers of the pills and the fact that i live in the country away from tourists.
the woman at the vet's told me that although there are no local HW cases locally because of the altitude, that is the chance i take, it isn't any mosquito. if i travel to the east it would be a good idea to get the pills because at lower altitude it is prevalent, especially in the east and south. j

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/protecting-your-dog-from-heartworm/

[stevesliva]

i have given my dogs heartworm pills for many years. this year, after giving my pup pills since april i was out. now the vets all want to do a checkup, "we like to do a checkup before dispensing any medications". plus they like to do a HW test... the total is over $100 then i am allowed to give them $48 for the pills.

The test is total BS if you know your dogs have been on it (Interceptor?) without pause.

Here in the PNW, I moved from Utah where heartworm is a big concern, and just started asking the staff at the new vet for scrips I could use for online meds. 2x Interceptor or 2x Trifexis per month is expensive. Online is much cheaper. In any event, in exchange for the scrip, a *tech* at the new vet pushed me hard on requiring a heartworm test on each dog regardless of the lifetime uninterrupted Interceptor.

The kicker? New vet since then says heartworm meds are totally unnecessary in Western Washington.

So the situation there was that in exchange for not paying them retail for unnecessary meds, they were pushing unnecessary tests. Their copout is that the manufacturer recommends the test biannually or something. Given the situation with these meds in general, you can't trust that much. Vet #1 was more than willing to allow me to continue buying heartworm meds, omitting any useful info that it's locally unnecessary. Worse, when confronted with a customer who simply wants to fill that unnecessary prescription elsewhere, they then push for unnecessary tests.

You will find vets online whining that they only way they make money is their margin on meds. That's fine. I pay you lots-- 250%, whatever it takes-- for pain meds and antibiotics when they need them ASAP. F**k you if you want to insist that I get monthly heartworm and flea meds from you at 150-200% the online rate for two dogs.

In any event Jellero-- if you suck it up and pay them for the blood draw & test, ask for a scrip for at least 2 years supply. Fill it online. I use Allivet for heartworm ****e. By no means should a checkup be necessary w/o concerning symptoms.

[stevesliva]

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com...rom-heartworm/

This is crap though, too.

Problem is that the intersection of quality science and dog health is small.

[Valdez Telehead]

This is the second most boring topic. Dog heartwarming? Talk to a vet or an emotions counselor, not EYT discussion page.

[PeteyPhil]

A vet friend of mine recommended bovine Ivermectin for preventing heartworm in dogs (Ivermectin is the active ingredient in Heartguard). It needs to be dilluted so that you can accurately measure dog-sized doses, but will save you a lot of money over time.

http://www.dogaware.com/health/ivomec.html

http://www.amazon.com/Vet-One-Vetrimec-Ivermectin-50ml/dp/B005C0UEWW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407779088&sr=8-1&keywords=ivermectin

[Matt J]

Jellero, I wasn't implying you don't care about your pet. Some people simply see dogs as chattel like livestock. It's a cost benefit analysis IMO. As far as the testing the scam is that the dog is protected for at least two months after their last dose. I keep mine on generic Heartgard but I don't retest even if I'm off by a week or two when I reorder.

[Sugarloafer]

i have given my dogs heartworm pills for many years. this year, after giving my pup pills since april i was out. now the vets all want to do a checkup, "we like to do a checkup before dispensing any medications". plus they like to do a HW test... the total is over $100 then i am allowed to give them $48 for the pills.
i asked a neighbor where he gets his HW pills and he didn't know what i was talking about, never gave them to his dog. have i been brainwashed into thinking i should give these? are they really needed? i just read that it has to be at least 57 degrees all day and night for the possibility of HW to even exist. j

WTF did you get a dog you couldn't afford to take care of ? Seems cruel to me.

[Sugarloafer]

This is the second most boring topic. Dog heartwarming? Talk to a vet or an emotions counselor, not EYT discussion page.

You kidding ?.........this is right in the sweet spot for this forum.

[jellero]

it is too cold here for heartworms from what i have read. there have been no reported cases here. still the vets push this plus the young puppy tests, under six months when they couldn't possibly test positive. good points steve. sorry if this is boring but it is august, go plan a trip or something. there is no snow. j

http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2008/05/billion-dollar-heartworm-scam.html

[Todd Eastman]

I have an overwhelming urge to sit on the floor. place my feet ahead, and use my hands to drag myself forward...

[Rock_Doc]

I have an overwhelming urge to sit on the floor. place my feet ahead, and use my hands to drag myself forward...

TMI, dude, TMI



carry on . . .