Registered: Jun 2003
Location: California
Posts: 999

Quote taken from that blog's info on heartworm:
"Data on heartworm incidence rates at the local level reinforces how rare heart worm really is. For example, on the map above, California is coded red-hot with 500 cases. And yet, when a total of 4,350 dogs in 103 Los Angeles County cities coming from 21 participating animal hospitals were tested, only 18 heartworm-positive tests turned up."

When I lived in SoCal (including Los Angeles county) I never gave my dogs heartworm preventive. As the quote above shows, it wasn't a major problem there.
When I moved to NorCal -- whole different story! My dogs went on heartworm prevention year round, starting at 4 months old. When I worked the shot clinics at a couple local vets there, we got heartworm positive dogs every time.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of dogs not on heartworm prevention who are never brought in for a test because the owners can't afford it. If they can't afford prevention and yearly testing, they probably sure as heck can't afford the standard veterinary treatment for heartworms.

I'm as skeptical as anyone about research coming from companies with a vested interest. The results would probably be quite different and more useful if someone were to go around the country (not in a vet clinic setting) randomly drawing blood from predominantly outdoor dogs and testing it at no cost to the owner. Shelter/rescue data might be more useful too.

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Chawn
Rincon Kennel (formerly Chisum-Trail Kennel)

Don't take life too seriously -- nobody gets out alive!

Last edited by calblu on 08-09-2011 at 05:38 PM

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Registered: Jan 2011
Location: Rockmart, Ga.
Posts: 2652

quote:

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Originally posted by JiM
I'm not sure what horse pills you are talking about but if you look at the posted ingrediates on a package of HeartGuard Plus, you will find it is the ivermectin and pyrantel poamate. Look and see. The dose I suggested in my other post is the same as HeartGuard. The price is the only difference.
My vet is the one that gave me the info.

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Registered: Nov 2006
Location: Mayer, MN
Posts: 920

Vets have to do what they can to maintain a business. I would not say that they are unethical as a group, no more than human doctors or dentists but I have had my doubts about some of those folks also.
There are proven ways to use off label wormers to treat dogs for heartworm but you do have to accept the responsibility if you do it wrong or your dog is one of those that reacts bad to it. The same thing can and does happen with vets doing the dosing, some dogs just lock up from ivermectin. Our vet just accepts the reality that I manage heartworm control on my own and do not want testing done. I keep mine on a year round monthly dose of equine paste wormer 1.87% ivermectin and she looks fine as frog hairs. The vet did make a big issue out of how her back molars are looking bad and that I need to either brush her teeth daily or think about having a dental cleanup done under anesthetic. As it is I take mine in for Lyme and other vaccs. including he req'd rabies. Not sure that a canine dental workup will happen but I have to give them credit for trying. If I was a shoe salesman I would probably be telling people that the shoes they were wearing needed to be replaced. It goes with the territory I guess.

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Registered: May 2010
Location: NorthWest Louisiana
Posts: 715

Ticks are tough. I don't think they ever get over a tick disease. I would definately invest in some Bayer ear tags for cows. Clip em on there collar and be tick free for about three months. I realized how important they are.

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David Disotell
(318) 288-1917

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Registered: Sep 2010
Location: The driftless area
Posts: 1429

quote:

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Originally posted by rghnd123
Ticks are tough. I don't think they ever get over a tick disease. I would definately invest in some Bayer ear tags for cows. Clip em on there collar and be tick free for about three months. I realized how important they are.

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"Quality not Quantity & hunt what you breed"~"IF you don't, please don't breed what you "DON'T" hunt" ~"If their not good enough for you they sure as tootin ain't good 'nuff for us" ~

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Registered: May 2010
Location: NorthWest Louisiana
Posts: 715

That's the bad part it only takes one. What gets me about it all is. The tick bites the dog and it kills em. It has to bite the dog to die. The disease comes from a bite. Explain this one to me.

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David Disotell
(318) 288-1917

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