Heartgard

[schmutzie]

Our vet would like us to give our dog a monthly pill or injection to prevent heart worm disease.

There was no pressure - basically up to us and wether or not we felt we could protect her from the risk etc.

I understand that the rate of infection is about 10% for domestic and 40% or more for stray dogs. I also understand that Thailand is considered endemic due to the favorable climate for mosquitoes.

Finally, I understand that Bangkok (with it's higher number of both stray and domestic dogs) is considered higher risk. This is where we stay.

Our dog is taken for walks outside and is free to roam at times when out on these, and also stays outside in the parking space. Basically, I can't see how anyone in their right mind would consider it possible to protect a dog from mosquito bites as I can't even protect myself.

I've read a bit about side effects but I'm keen to avoid the holistic versus poison debate. I'm not going to use my dog to put a question mark over the pharmaceutical industries and their morals.

Still it bothers me to give a preventive drug all the time. Its seems like such a...Well, not a solution.

My vet said that he gives these to his own dogs and has happily been doing that for 6 years. I do trust him, it's not that.

What are your thoughts? Is it even something to consider NOT doing?

[WarpSpeed]

Never liked Heartguard myself, primarily because it is difficult to remember a once a month dosage plus if it lasts a whole month the dose must be quite high initially and then die off over the course of the month which can't be good..

I opted for Flarabits [spl?] been awhile as it was once a day, easy to remember just give it before feeding, it was like a little chewy, meaty treat and the dog loved it and thought she was getting it for being good so no problems. Also it is daily so the dose is lower I also noticed that it most definitely kept her fleas at bay though it was not touted for doing so at the time but some years later they also began to tout it's virtues in that regard too so as to keep them in the market with Heartguard no doubt..

I argued with the vet numerous times regarding it's effectiveness with fleas before it was touted for this but was dismissed out of hand though every time without fail that she got off for any length of time she would get infested immediately, thinking about it though it makes perfectly logical sense since fleas also feed on blood and are so small and get a trace of arsenic every time they feed that can't be a desirable meal for them even if they don't die..

Anyway not the magic bullet but much better then the alternative of no protection as heart worms are almost always fatal or at minimum very expensive to treat and requires literally poisoning the dog to within an inch of it's life to kill them and no way can that be good for it to go through...

Sorry to say however that I do not know of this products availability here in Thailand..

Edited June 11, 2010 by WarpSpeed

[isanbirder]

I used Heartgard for some years in Chiangmai after having two dogs diagnosed with heartworm. The treatment is like chemotherapy for cancer... you almost kill the patient to cure the disease. Still, I know no alternative available here.

The heartworm is very common in Chiangmai; is it also common in Isan? I haven't been treating my dogs here in Buriram (though perhaps I ought to have been).

[mangotogo]

Hi,

Heartgard and other monthly products against heartwrom: don't last in their system for a month. It works on the principle that the heartworm larvae injected when an infected mosquitoe bites your dog is sensitive to Ivermectin for about 60 days. So using heartgard once monthly: kills these when you give the tablet/chewable treat. The larvae die in the tissue (wherever they are at the time) and are then removed by the body defence system. Recommended for monthly use there is a wide margin of safety because people forget.( I do). So you are not poisoning your dog as you might think. Other yearly injections : Proheart : works on a different principle. On initial injection it wills also intestinal nematodes(hookworms,roundworms...but not tapeworms). Then it works on a slow release system that only affects heartworm larvae: safety is assured by the manufacturer but i prefer heartgard plus ( this way my dog is regularly also wormed for intestinal parasites).

Dogs can live with a few adult heartworms for years without problems but if the number increases ( with the number of times the dog is bitten by infected mosquitoes) then problems will occur; cough after exercise...to congestive heart failure....In my early days in Australia it was common for unportected dogs to die around 6-7 years of age with swollen bellies and bad coughs....postmortem always revealed bad heartworm infections.

Trans dermal products ( some top spot drugs) also kill heartorm larvae the same way as Heartguard.

Whatever method, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!

Thailand has also other cheaper forms of ivermectin available: powder and tablets: avaialble at feed stores. We use these for the street dogs as heartguard is cost prohibitive.

Hope this clarifies it for you.

[Lost in LOS]

give them heartguard every month, you can put it in your calendar [gmai] to remind you. In the tropics it is necessary or they will die a horrible death from heart worms. i understand once they get them it is too late. Safe than sorry

[schmutzie]

OK, thanks for the advice and pointer to alternative.

I think I'll go for Heartgard in pill form and see how we get on.

[cmsally]

Heartguard comes in a chewable form. My dog thinks it tastes great - she thinks its a treat!

Have given to her 5 yrs no problems. Pedigree dogs are supposedly more susceptible to heartworm (shes a Golden R.).

Had a dog before who died from it; tried to treat it but the dog was very old, not enough stamina. A heartbreaking disease to watch, as it ravages your dog before your eyes.

[schmutzie]

Heartguard comes in a chewable form. My dog thinks it tastes great - she thinks its a treat!

Have given to her 5 yrs no problems. Pedigree dogs are supposedly more susceptible to heartworm (shes a Golden R.).

Had a dog before who died from it; tried to treat it but the dog was very old, not enough stamina. A heartbreaking disease to watch, as it ravages your dog before your eyes.

My girl is a golden too!