# GETTING A NEW DOG WATCH OUT!



## Jhennager (Feb 20, 2009)

If you are thinking about adopting a dog make sure if it is older than six months that it was getting heartguard for heartworms. I adopted a dog that was two years old from somebody on craigslist last fall. The dog came up with heart worms now it is going cost me a bunch of money to get her fixed up and she still may not live threw the treatment. I got a wife who is carrying on about it and another dog that was at risk. It is transferred by mosquitoes and it is fatal. Also you should only take puppies born during the winter months.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

DO you now and have you had the dog on heart worm preventative?


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## plattelabs (Apr 25, 2009)

I used to work for our local vet until i started staying home with our boys and learned many things about Heart worms. I am so sorry you have to go through this and it is heartbreaking! Dogs really should be on heart worm preventative year around i keep mine on heart gard 12 months out of the year. Some like to give it a break during winter months to help save cash but to be safe it is better to do year around. It is o.k. to buy pups in spring/summer time just make sure to ask litter owner what kind of heartworm protection they have the mom on to verify she is protected because she will pass it to her pups through milk. It is also a good idea to start them on heart worm preventative at 8 weeks old. At that time they are safe to have heart gard. There is also concern in the states south of us of dogs now getting heartworms even when they are on heart worm preventative and are now giving a six month shot on top of preventative.

I have talked to our Merial Rep (maker of heartgard and frontline) many times when he would come to go over new info with us. Merial will not cover costs of medical treatment for heartworms if you are buying products from any other place besides your vets office. Reason being it has to be stored at certian temps or it will loose affectiveness. When other places buy products they do not know how they are stored so they won't back it up. Also make sure to look for experation dates. If you are buying products from another source than your vet call Merial to see if they gaurentee it and you will be surprised when they say no. Some other places that sell it may give a quarentee but it is from them and not Merial. I used to think this was a way for vets to make money but it is true. Also make sure if your dog does get heartworms you are having vet do the treatment. Heart gard and other brands help to prevent but do not treat heart worms and it can be fatal if not treated correctly. Depending on how bad the heartworms are you have to be very careful on the dosage of meds so the hearworms can pass slowley without causing a blockage.

Again really sorry to hear that!


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## rand_98201 (Jun 14, 2009)

I thought you could just do the shot from the vet and that was enough? is this not true?


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

rand_98201 said:


> I thought you could just do the shot from the vet and that was enough? is this not true?


no they need to be treated monthly your dogs gets them everytime they get bit by a mosquito thats carrying them

you can kill them with two methods

1) immiticide given by the vet two days in a row follwed by a couple months of keeping the dog on a leash and inactive

2) or ivermectin given monthly for a 18 months to two years basically exactly what you should be doing every month now for the dogs entire life anyway

this second methods kills the microfilaria before they become adult worms and the dog will be a carrier but it is inexpensive. The down side is the adult worms will live their life span in the dog ( estimated to be about 2 years) and die of old age and depending on how many ect may cause damage.

The preferred method is the first one but the second method will do the same thing and can be done for about $35 the price of a bottle of ivermectin 1 % hog and cattle wormer ( not ivermec plus) administered

*ORALLY* at one tenth CC per ten pounds of body weight every 30 days.

Ideally you should put the dog on prednisone for a week before you use option 2 ( really either option) to reduce the possibility of anaphylaxis

if you cannot afford option one talk to your vet about option 2


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## LuckCounts (Aug 8, 2008)

Great info. Thanks


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