Monthly Medicin Against Heartworms Necessary?

[ALFREDO]

When the dogs where 1 or 1,5 years old I brought them to an animal clinic in Khon Kaen and they checked them for Heartworms with a blood test.

All dogs, so I was shown had Heartworms.

A cure with Injection followes and since than I give them a monthly dose of Anti Heartworm tabletts.

Necessary, or not?

The usualy much smaller and not so heavy Thaidogs seem to survive without such medicin.

Wau, wau, Alfredo

[FM505]

When the dogs where 1 or 1,5 years old I brought them to an animal clinic in Khon Kaen and they checked them for Heartworms with a blood test.

All dogs, so I was shown had Heartworms.

A cure with Injection followes and since than I give them a monthly dose of Anti Heartworm tabletts.

Necessary, or not?

The usualy much smaller and not so heavy Thaidogs seem to survive without such medicin.

Wau, wau, Alfredo

Check with Carrie at pickapet4home.com

[FM505]

When the dogs where 1 or 1,5 years old I brought them to an animal clinic in Khon Kaen and they checked them for Heartworms with a blood test.

All dogs, so I was shown had Heartworms.

A cure with Injection followes and since than I give them a monthly dose of Anti Heartworm tabletts.

Necessary, or not?

The usualy much smaller and not so heavy Thaidogs seem to survive without such medicin.

Wau, wau, Alfredo

Check with Carrie at pickapet4home.com

Use google translate if the English version is not up and running yet...

[Nienke]

Heartworm is very prevalent, so prevention is advisable.

What the heartworm prevention med's, such as Heartguard or ivermectin by injection, do is to kill the microfilaria that circulate in the blood stream just affter the medicine is given. It doesn't work as a prophylaxis.

The cycle from an infected mosquito that stings the dog to adult worm in the heart takes about 6 months.

Therefore prevention med's such as Heartguard can safely be given every two months in stead of every month.

Cheaper than Heartguard is ivermectin by injection. You can also keep the dogs inside or under a mosquito net during dark.

The stronger the immune system of a dog the smaller the chance a dog will get infected. IME the survivers of the fittest under the Thai dogs are in general way much stronger than the over-bred and for several generations over-vaccinated full-breds.

[Suzy]

A heart worm injection is a small price to pay for the health of your pet. Don't judge Thai dogs and their owners as so few are concerned with the welfare of their animals - hence so many street dogs.

A heart worm injection also helps prevent crabs which are easily transferable to other dogs as well as bedding, sofa, your home in general AND your self.

[cmfarmer]

Nienke,

I am giving our two five year old plus English cocker spaniels a tablet each of the white colour round ivermectin every month, size according to the recommendation of the vet supply shop in Chiang Mai. Am I overdosing our dogs ?

You mentioned the injectable type. Is the tablet type just as effective ? Bringing those two unruly dogs to the vet every month for the injection is no easy matter. Luckily they are healthy and once a year for the hexadog injection to the vet is tolerable.

Thanks.

[Nienke]

Hi Cmfamer,

No you are not necesarily over-dosing your dogs. I just read some reports recently where it was mentioned that you can give these tablets also every two months. This is similar effective.

The ivermectin by injection is cheaper. You can do it yourself if you know how much to give. But I normally advice dog owners to go to the vet. I've seen dogs that were overdosed with ivermectin and it definitely is not a nice sight, plus an absolute emergency.

Vetscan give a monthly, 2-monthly or 3-monthly dose.

As for the hexadog booster, I'm not in favor of combined vaccines at all. Plus, from what i've studied till now there is no scientific evidence that backs up the necessity of yearly boosters. The vets schools in the The States and now also Australia have changed their protocol and advice three-yearly boosters.

Most vaccines given as puppy vaccines with a booster vaccines at one year of age, give protection for 5 years to life time.

In order to keep side effects form the rabies vaccines to an absolute minimum rabies can better be given once the dog has reached the age of 6 months, after its immune system has matured.

Dogs that shows any form of disease should not be vaccinated, as long as they show symptoms. Arthritis, re-current skin problems, ear and /or eye infections etc are all symptoms of chronic disease.

[cmfarmer]

Thank you Nienke for your prompt reply and your comment has been noted.

[Old Man River]

Hi Cmfamer,

No you are not necesarily over-dosing your dogs. I just read some reports recently where it was mentioned that you can give these tablets also every two months. This is similar effective.

The ivermectin by injection is cheaper. You can do it yourself if you know how much to give. But I normally advice dog owners to go to the vet. I've seen dogs that were overdosed with ivermectin and it definitely is not a nice sight, plus an absolute emergency.

Vetscan give a monthly, 2-monthly or 3-monthly dose.

As for the hexadog booster, I'm not in favor of combined vaccines at all. Plus, from what i've studied till now there is no scientific evidence that backs up the necessity of yearly boosters. The vets schools in the The States and now also Australia have changed their protocol and advice three-yearly boosters.

Most vaccines given as puppy vaccines with a booster vaccines at one year of age, give protection for 5 years to life time.

In order to keep side effects form the rabies vaccines to an absolute minimum rabies can better be given once the dog has reached the age of 6 months, after its immune system has matured.

Dogs that shows any form of disease should not be vaccinated, as long as they show symptoms. Arthritis, re-current skin problems, ear and /or eye infections etc are all symptoms of chronic disease.

I really wish I had read this sooner. The Vet at Thong Lo gave my dog the rabies vaccine at 3 months and she really did have a rough night. She is fine now, but had I known we would have held off.