Heartworm protocol ???
- Thread starter Essa
- Start date
nowhavethreebears
New member
First of all, thanks again for adopting this boy!
I am sorry to hear he is having health problems....
I have (thankfully) never had to deal with this issue, but I am sure others with more experience/knowledge than me will chime in.
I am sorry to hear he is having health problems....
I have (thankfully) never had to deal with this issue, but I am sure others with more experience/knowledge than me will chime in.
Last edited:
ardeagold
New member
I don't know from personal experience, but I know there are various protocols, depending on the load of the heartworms (how many adults are already in the heart), the age of the dog, the overall heath of the dog, and whether or not the dog has symptoms.
I can see waiting a little while if the dog is undernourished or otherwise weak (from other things), but the longer they wait the worse the HW load will get. They do have a cycle, tho...and die off naturally. But if adults are forming daily, wouldn't it be the same 6 months from now? I really don't know. I do know most want it taken care of right away if at all possible. Is he giving any sort of treatment for them on a daily basis? Some Vets do that too...treat daily for "x" number of days. They're using a weakened dosage of regular Ivermectin, so the kill off is minimal yet no new larvae can form.
They must be careful, if there's a big adult HW burden...to kill off the HW's slowly so they don't all die quickly and block the heart.
I found out the treatment my son got for his dog (a young Lab he rescued) was the Immiticide treatment. Sometimes they do a round of Doxycycline prior to the Immiticide treatment, as well.
IF she didn't have a huge burden of adult HW's...she would have gotten one shot in the left hip, then 24 hrs later, gotten a shot in the right hip. Then would have been put on Heartgard (Ivermectin) for the larvae in the system.
HOWEVER, since she DID HAVE a heavy burden of HW's....they gave her a shot...waited a month, and then gave another shot in one hip, then a third 24 hrs later in the other hip. This slows down the kill off and is less risky for the dog.
Then they put her on Heartgard (or Ivermectin) once a month for the larvae.
There are also Holistic methods that I've heard work...some mixture of Black Walnut, Cayenne Pepper, Rosemary and Garlic...but a Holistic Vet would have to make the mixture as Black Walnut can become toxic over time. This is something they use in HI for heartworms.
And...another Holistic treatment is Paratox, Ionic copper and HW nosodes, which is a gradual process over months.
I'd really have to question the Holistic Vets about the success rates of these plans, tho.
There is no "preventative" for HW in reality. The pill (such as Heartgard, Interceptor, etc) they get actually rids the dog of any larvae or immature HW's before they become adults and the cycle starts .... if any exist. That's why they want a HW test before starting any dog on "preventative" because if they DO have adult HWs the "preventative" could do a fast kill off and cause a blockage in the heart. Often if they find a very "light" positive, they'll just treat with the HW pill...as normal and recheck in a month.
I can see waiting a little while if the dog is undernourished or otherwise weak (from other things), but the longer they wait the worse the HW load will get. They do have a cycle, tho...and die off naturally. But if adults are forming daily, wouldn't it be the same 6 months from now? I really don't know. I do know most want it taken care of right away if at all possible. Is he giving any sort of treatment for them on a daily basis? Some Vets do that too...treat daily for "x" number of days. They're using a weakened dosage of regular Ivermectin, so the kill off is minimal yet no new larvae can form.
They must be careful, if there's a big adult HW burden...to kill off the HW's slowly so they don't all die quickly and block the heart.
I found out the treatment my son got for his dog (a young Lab he rescued) was the Immiticide treatment. Sometimes they do a round of Doxycycline prior to the Immiticide treatment, as well.
IF she didn't have a huge burden of adult HW's...she would have gotten one shot in the left hip, then 24 hrs later, gotten a shot in the right hip. Then would have been put on Heartgard (Ivermectin) for the larvae in the system.
HOWEVER, since she DID HAVE a heavy burden of HW's....they gave her a shot...waited a month, and then gave another shot in one hip, then a third 24 hrs later in the other hip. This slows down the kill off and is less risky for the dog.
Then they put her on Heartgard (or Ivermectin) once a month for the larvae.
There are also Holistic methods that I've heard work...some mixture of Black Walnut, Cayenne Pepper, Rosemary and Garlic...but a Holistic Vet would have to make the mixture as Black Walnut can become toxic over time. This is something they use in HI for heartworms.
And...another Holistic treatment is Paratox, Ionic copper and HW nosodes, which is a gradual process over months.
I'd really have to question the Holistic Vets about the success rates of these plans, tho.
There is no "preventative" for HW in reality. The pill (such as Heartgard, Interceptor, etc) they get actually rids the dog of any larvae or immature HW's before they become adults and the cycle starts .... if any exist. That's why they want a HW test before starting any dog on "preventative" because if they DO have adult HWs the "preventative" could do a fast kill off and cause a blockage in the heart. Often if they find a very "light" positive, they'll just treat with the HW pill...as normal and recheck in a month.
Last edited:
Ivoryudx
New member
No way would I wait 6 months to treat for heartworm! In six months there is no doubt there will be adult heartworms, if they are not there already. If they are there now, your asking for heart damage and lower lung invasion/damage. Even young worms can cause damage, so the sooner you can get them slowed down and gradually killed off, the better.
Your boy is strong now, don't waste time starting a treatment. Its not cheap but they will die without any treatment. The only time I would not do the normal protocol is if the dog is extremely sick, or old, where they would not survive the treatment.
Your boy is strong now, don't waste time starting a treatment. Its not cheap but they will die without any treatment. The only time I would not do the normal protocol is if the dog is extremely sick, or old, where they would not survive the treatment.
Alex
New member
I did the Immiticide treatment for the Saint Bernard I adopted a few years ago. It saved me nearly $1000 to call around and get prices from different vets! You can simply give a normal dose of Heartguard once a month. It kills the larva and weakens the adults so they die within a year or so (normal lifespan for adults is several years I think). I've been told it's a good choice for a lot of dogs. I did the Immiticide because I wanted them dead, NOW! I can't imagine why you'd wait to start treatment unless the dog is ill in some other way.
The vet is supposed to talk to me tomorrow to explain. And we go for boosters on Thursday. Danny Boy is three, and yes, he is strong and doesn't have a cough, has good appetite, has gained some weight and is comfortable when he breathes at all times. I still feel we have to be careful of heat and him wanting to bound across the yard to us when we do recall LOL - he calms down quickly though, not wild like a pup we had.
Vet did have us give Danny Boy a regular dose of Heartgard right away. But the wait for six months is confusing me. I want to understand his POV and to find out what the test showed as far as degree of heartworms, I now understand they can tell how many and how large, but he did not mention that at all. This vet must understand that I am one who wants and NEEDS to know everything.
This is a vet we have never used, though the clinic is very respected and the first to be referred to when asking for the best. I don't know though. The more I research and ask, the more I question. We may be driving to the clinic in Indy we just found out about for this one.
Thanks for the input, I will be checking back often.
Vet did have us give Danny Boy a regular dose of Heartgard right away. But the wait for six months is confusing me. I want to understand his POV and to find out what the test showed as far as degree of heartworms, I now understand they can tell how many and how large, but he did not mention that at all. This vet must understand that I am one who wants and NEEDS to know everything.
This is a vet we have never used, though the clinic is very respected and the first to be referred to when asking for the best. I don't know though. The more I research and ask, the more I question. We may be driving to the clinic in Indy we just found out about for this one.
Thanks for the input, I will be checking back often.