Ken Eric Webboard User Reg: 03-17-2011
Posts: 86
Loc: NY
Offline
I have a GSD service dog. My mom has a GSD. She is treats her dog holistically and does not like medications like heartworm poisons. Her view is that the dog gets tested every year for it. If the dog gets infected, it can then be healed with in the year.
She feels this is better for the dogs health. Comments on this strategy please?
I would never quit giving a dog HW preventative while living in an area where HW disease was a concern.
It's pretty simple to prevent and can be quite tough on the dog to treat. Also, any sort of working dog is going to be laid up during the treatment process.
I use HW prevention about 7-8 months of the year, living in SE Michigan. Usually start in May (which would be covering the previous 30 days) and end with my last pill in November. If it is unusually warm, I will use more.
I've heard of everything from giving nothing to giving beer. Me? I will stick with using monthly prevention.
In weighing the choice between giving my dogs a medication to prevent a horrific condition like heartworm infection versus just opting to treat them for heartworm if they get it, I'm squarely in the monthly pill camp. I also live in Michigan, and my vet feels comfortable with giving the pills for eight months of the year, so that's what I do.
There are medications that I myself take on a regular basis. There are many reasons why I don't like having to take medications, but the things that could happen if I don't take them are worse, IMO.
And wasn't there recently a serious shortage of the drugs used to treat heartworm? I don't know if that has been resolved, but I sure would hate for my dog (or me) to have a condition and not be able to get the meds needed to treat it.
Jodi Moen Webboard User Reg: 12-28-2010
Posts: 799
Loc: USA
Offline
I give my dog heartworm preventive during mosquito season where I am, for me it is much easier to prevent than to treat. One of my friends had a mother who didn't believe in heartworm medication, that dog did develop heartworm, was treated, ended up with some cardiac damage, and died a year or two later from the heartworm damage.
If you take a dog in to be tested and they're negative, then a week later get bit by a carrier mosquito, that's a year the dog has been infected.
My animals are not "like" family, they ARE family.
Over the years I've had two dogs get heartworm. Back in the 70s it was my 130 lb GSD/Dane came down with it. At that time I still believed it was something only dogs in the South got. That's the way it USED USED TO BE WHEN when I was a kid. He was an outside dog and believe me when I say keeping him in the house was a PIA!
One of my present GSDs got it when he was two. I NEVER missed giving him his monthly preventative 12 months out of the year.and he still got it.
I also used to believe that it was just a summer thing for meds in my area after my GSD/Dane was diagnosed but the vet set me straight on that.
It's all fine unless your dog gets heartworm. Then, the dog has to undergo treatment that is expensive, nerve wracking and has the possibility of fatal side effects. Some dogs with a heavy heartworm burden are never the same again.
When purchasing any product from Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. it is understood
that any and all products sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. are sold in Dunn
County Wisconsin, USA. Any and all legal action taken against Leerburg Enterprises,
Inc. concerning the purchase or use of these products must take place in Dunn
County, Wisconsin. If customers do not agree with this policy they should not
purchase Leerburg Ent. Inc. products.
Dog Training is never without risk of injury. Do not use any of the products
sold by Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. without consulting a local professional.
The training methods shown in the Leerburg Ent. Inc. DVD’s are meant
to be used with a local instructor or trainer. Leerburg Enterprises, Inc. cannot
be held responsible for accidents or injuries to humans and/or animals.
Copyright 2010 Leerburg® Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. All photos and content on leerburg.com are part of a registered copyright owned by Leerburg Enterprise, Inc.
By accessing any information within Leerburg.com, you agree to abide by the
Leerburg.com Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Stopping my GSDs Heartworm Medication?
Top
Previous Topic
Index
Next Topic
.jpg)
