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re: Update in OP; Treating young lab for heart worms
Posted on 2/3/16 at 9:24 am to ea_spartan
Posted on 2/3/16 at 9:24 am to ea_spartan
You can try black walnut hull and wormwood tincture. We've been doing that for a stray we took in about 4 years ago that tested positive. I get it from the vitamine shoppe and put a few drops in his food. It's not going to eliminate them, but combined with a preventative like heartguard, I believe it helps a lot in keeping them from getting worse. It certainly has helped with his symptoms, he used to cough and wheeze back when we first got him
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Posted on 2/3/16 at 9:27 am to tigers win2
Went through it several years ago with my lab. Well worth the money IMO. I think we used a 8'X8' pen & it worked good. My lab really didn't want to run around while he was sick 
Posted on 2/3/16 at 9:30 am to tigers win2
Here's my experience with heartworms, which are only a problem in mosquito infested regions. Have 2 dogs, used the expensive heartworm meds vet was telling me to use. Both had heartworms within 1st year of their life. Vet basically wanted to do the Arsenic injections and crate for 6-8 weeks and charge me lots of money. I did some research, found some interesting studies about using doxycycline antibiotics. I did 2, 2-week antibiotic treatments with 2 week pause in between for both dogs and during this time switched to ivomec for cattle giving the correct dosage 1x per month. Still using ivomec now monthly. Took dogs back 6 months after ivome/doxy treatment and both are heartworm free.
Posted on 2/3/16 at 9:45 am to tigers win2
If you can prove you had her on preventative her entire life and she still got HW I'd contact the maker of the preventative. Myself and a friend have both been through it with Heartguard, my friend had to treat his dog twice. heartguard paid for both of his treatments and only the medicine for mine (since I started him too late on the preventative, so they said). My dog was about the age of yours when treated and he made a full recovery. If the HW infestation is not bad the treatment shouldn't be a huge deal.
Posted on 2/3/16 at 9:46 am to mooseofterror
quote:I did this, too and no worms of any kind since.
switched to ivomec for cattle giving the correct dosage 1x per month. Still using ivomec now monthly
Posted on 2/3/16 at 10:41 am to AubieALUMdvm
quote:
(FYI ivermectin is a macrocyclic lactone) I think I'll go with what the experts say over anecdotal internet message board reports...
we did the slow kill with our rescue dogs and it was recommended by our vet.. and it worked..
I think ill continue doing what was recommended and what works.
Posted on 2/3/16 at 10:54 am to maisweh
quote:
and it worked..
What people don't realize is that this method isn't actually killing adult worms. You're just killing the microfilariae (baby worms) and preventing any new infective larve from being deposited in the blood. The adult worms are just running their natural course in the heart and major vessels until they die - damaging the heart all along the way.
This method is also suspected to be a cause for ivermectin resistant heartworms in endemic areas (like LA).
This post was edited on 2/3/16 at 10:56 am
Posted on 2/3/16 at 1:29 pm to AubieALUMdvm
Aubbie DVM is exactly correct. Slow kill just kills the microfilariae while the adults are still alive. They are damaging the heart while they are still alive and live for 3-5 years. Our parasitologist in vet school does not recommend this at all
Posted on 2/3/16 at 3:27 pm to tigers win2
If you can provide documentation that you have purchased Trifexis through your vet and haven't had any overlap, Elanco ( company which makes trifexis) is very good at providing compensation. So definitely worth giving them a call. If you truly have never missed a dose then your worm burden should be very low and your pup should do just fine with treatment. Don't pay much attention to vets who try to quantify heart worm burdens with basic antigen tests. Whether you have 1 worm or a hundred worms the test shows positive. You can have an all male infection that will test negative. Only the females are detected. If your pet is not showing any clinical signs and no radiographic evidence of heart disease then often you can get by with just 2 injections 24 hours apart. But yes using the doxycycline is helpful. Kills a bacteria known as Wolbachia which supposedly have a symbiotic relationship with worms. By killing bacteria you may actually kill some worms. Doxy all has an anti-inflammatory component which minimizes inflammation in lungs.
This post was edited on 2/3/16 at 3:29 pm
Posted on 2/3/16 at 3:48 pm to LSUVET82
So what's this threads' consensus?? My lab tested negative a year ago when I got him from a shelter. I gave him Trifexis every month as recommended by my vet and now a year later he turns up positive. I have him on the antibiotic for a month and then they are planning on doing the shots over 2 days and then I have to keep him calm for 30 days. Should I switch him off Trifexis after this??
Posted on 2/3/16 at 4:09 pm to Trout Bandit
I'm the OP and my vet said after treatment (assuming successful) switch to another preventative.
I'll update the OP through the process of kenneling with our experience. Maybe it will spark conversation or help others dealing with it.
I'll update the OP through the process of kenneling with our experience. Maybe it will spark conversation or help others dealing with it.
Posted on 2/3/16 at 4:33 pm to tigers win2
If you have purchased your heart worm medicine through the vet usually treatment is covered by the manufacturer - we use K9 advantix and pay a little more to get it through the vet for this very reason.
This post was edited on 2/3/16 at 4:50 pm
Posted on 2/3/16 at 4:42 pm to AubieALUMdvm
This thread is frightening.
I'm sure my wife has been using the cheapest prevent meds possible, so i doubt they will cover any future worms. But i'll be checking when i get home.
I'm sure my wife has been using the cheapest prevent meds possible, so i doubt they will cover any future worms. But i'll be checking when i get home.
Posted on 2/5/16 at 8:39 am to AubieALUMdvm
Slow Kills? Are we talking the antibiotic route? My understanding is that Heart Worm medicine is given every month to kill new worms introduced into the body via mosquito reinfection. It is correct that the normal monthly meds do not kill adult worms. The antibiotic, from my research, combat a microbe in the gut of all heartworms need ed for digestion and severely reduces the life expectancy of adult worms. Like I mentioned before, 6 months after completing treatment, my dogs were heart worm free.
Posted on 2/5/16 at 11:31 am to AubieALUMdvm
quote:
AubieALUMdvm
So what do you recommend me put my 7 week old lab/ great pyranese on?
Posted on 2/5/16 at 11:56 am to SportTiger1
quote:
This thread is frightening
It's not meant to be. I personaly have no issue with using Ivomec injectable for cattle (given the oral route) provided that your vet has confirmed the proper dose and you've had a discussion with them on whether your dog is susceptible to ivermectin toxicity (some breeds have individuals that are sensitive to it). Ivomec comes in a bottle that is not protected against light. This drug can be deactived with enough exposure to light so it would be foolish to use it if you didn't keep it in the box or in a cabinent somewhere.
I do have issue with the statement that a chewable ivermectin tablet, like Heartgard, somehow isn't ivermectin. That's like saying the ibuprofren you get in a tablet isn't the same ibuprofen in a gel cap or liquid suspension.
And, again, these preventatives do not kill adult worms. If the so called "slow kill" method is determined by the vet to be the most appropriate treatment for a given dog (due to finances, health of the animal, ect...) then so be it. But no one should be pretending that it's something it's not.
Jamal - I sent you an answer in GM but I would feel comfortable with really any preventative. Just happen to prefer oral ones b/c I don't lke the residue that the topicals leave on my dog. It gets on my couch. No question though - has to be given every month no exceptions.
quote:
swanny297
quote:
If you have purchased your heart worm medicine through the vet usually treatment is covered by the manufacturer - we use K9 advantix and pay a little more to get it through the vet for this very reason.
May have been a typo but want to confirm with you that K9 Advantixx II is not a heartworm preventative. This is good for fleas and ticks. Advantage Multi, made by the same company (Bayer), is a heartworm preventative.
This post was edited on 2/5/16 at 12:26 pm
Posted on 5/8/16 at 8:55 am to AubieALUMdvm
Progress update in OP
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