Heartworms ... a preventable disease

[jamie]

Check out this map of heartworm incidents across the US in 2005 - there's an updated map available on web site for the American Heartworm Society.

American Heartworm Society

I live in an area with some of the highest infection rates in the country, so my dogs get a heartworm preventative every month. The treatment is expensive and dangerous for the dog or cat.

Please get your dogs and cats on a heartworm preventative if they are not already taking one

There are some generic preventatives available that cost less than Heartgard. I use one that I buy from my vet.

 

[birdlady]

Thanks for the reminder...I live in a not too bad area, but both my dogs get heartworm meds...

 

[jamie]

You're welcome

This is an important issue for me just because I see and hear about so many dogs that are heartworm positive ... and it's so easy to prevent. I know that there are some potential side-effects from the preventative, however, I've never known anyone who experienced any problems.
It's also important to get your dog or cat tested before starting the preventative. It's a part of the yearly exam services that my vet provides.

 

[birdlady]

Jamie, I see so many heartworm positive dogs on shows like Animal cops...so sad to see them suffering when they don't have to. So easily preventable.

 

[magni]

All my guys had there year check and are on a ounce a month, but I do keep them on all year round

 

[birdlover82]

I got Lucy tested and on the preventive meds just need to get the other 2 dogs tested this month and on the stuff too. Our vet told me last eyar if I didn't do it that year I really needed to do it this year because the number of cases in our area have really gone up in the last couple years.
I'm glad the cost of getting them tested has gone down so much in the last couple years.

 

[jamie]

I'm really glad that it's coming down also. It's only been in the past couple of years that my vet has been selling the generic preventative. Before that, I was ordering it from Australia - and, even with shipping, it was still less expensive than buying Heartgard for the same number of doses.

 

[LuvMyBirds]

Jamie thanks for the gentle reminder. It is such a preventable disease. Part of the problem we see is that folks that move to the south from the north aren't taught to give Heartgard/Interceptor etc year round. They only give 9 months out of the year, stopping for winter. Some don't think about our mild winters and continue to stop - giving them just enough time to contract the disease.

Please understand one major thing about purchasing preventives. When you buy from your veterinarian, the product has a warranty. The company will pay for heartworm treatment should your pet contract heartworms and you show hw test and prev purchases. However if you purchase from internet, no warranty. Main reason is that here in the USA everything must pass FDA. Other countries do not have quality control like we do, thus you don't necessarily get what is supposed to be in the pill. Believe me, most veterinarians charge a fair fee for the preventives they want your pet on them. But their hands are tied with the price they have to pay for it. Case in point: Sometimes Science Diet is sold at PetSmart for LESS than we can buy it for. Why? PetSmart buys multiple tractor trailer loads - getting huge discounts. We can't do that

 

[jamie]

That's true I trusted the source I was ordering from, however it does pay to look into the source before ordering. I buy it from my vet now, however.

A friend of a friend had one of his dogs turn up positive. Fortunately the warranty covered the treatment and his dog survived.

 

[expressmailtome]

Thank you for such an important reminder.

Matt

 

[Love My Zons]

I adopted my last rescue because she was positive due to someone elses neglect. It is treatable, it is costly and we paid for it to fix this Girl.....I myself do not understand why some people don't buy the meds. Here in this State there are many Country folk who obviously don't use it, many, many Shelter dogs here test positive.

GREAT REMINDER FOR ALL!

Here is my link about her 2 yrs later.

http://forums.avianavenue.com/other...y/18473-my-rescue-dog-some-two-years-ago.html