I have a young Sheltie that I recently got from an owner that did not provide heartworm prevention. I do not actually know if Blue has heartworms or not, but need a less expensive preventive treatment than the vet offers. Are any of you pet owners feeling the same crunch financially, but do not want our pet family to suffer neglect? I am interested in home remedies and prevention of heartworms. Thanks to all who respond.
By Nelwyn Mills from Bunkie, LA
If you've ever seen an actual photo of heart worms in a heart you would have Blue tested to make sure or not. Call your local animal shelter and the ASPCA and ask where there might be no or low cost help available in your area. You can also order monthly heartworm prevention meds online for alot less money than at the vets office but make sure you order them from a professionally approved source. You also want to make sure you order the right dose based on Blue's weight. There are no home remedies for this serious disease whether preventing it or treating it. Here's a three page informational link:
pets.webmd.com/
The graphic below shows the heartworms feeding on the heart. The heartworms progress to the lungs and arteries.
Deeli is right. Heartworms are serious and nothing to mess around with. Not to sound harsh, but if you can't afford to put Blue on heartworm preventative, maybe you should try to find another home for him.
Doing rescue work in Houston, I have watched a dog die in front of me of heartworms. It is a long and suffering way to die. It is really horrible.
When you test Blue, ask the vet if the heartworms are heavy or light. If he says light, you can put Blue on the preventative right away and keep any baby worms from being born.
The adult worms live out their lives and then die. It takes about 6 months or so to be completely heartworm free going that route. If they are heavy heartworms, he HAS to be treated or he'll die.
And not to be the bearer of even more bad news but treatment isn't cheap either; in fact it can run hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Affording the preventative is really the best way to go. In HOU, dogs had a 100% chance of contracting heartworms if they were not on preventative.
Good luck to you and I hope you can find an affordable way to go. I order all my preventatives online as it is MUCH cheaper that way. Just get your vet to write you a prescription and you can send it in to PetMeds.com or another one of the reputable sites out there.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I was surfing around dog sites and found a number of references and letters about a 6-month heartworm shot for dogs and reports it had actually caused a number of dog deaths due to severe onset anemia.
Any vaccine can be harmful to a dog. It all depends on the dog. I think I would go with a more traditional heartworm prevention course, like the tablets you give them once a month.
I've also read bad things about the shot. I give mine heartgard & have for a long time with no adverse affects. I tend to go for the tried & true. Not only for my furkids, but for me too.
Yes I have. My neighbor's vet does not use the shots anymore because they have caused deaths in dogs.
I have two dogs and I have always given them Heartguard. They have never had a problem and I trust it. I would not give them the shot!!!
I have a 7 year old mixed breed beagle and she was using the six month heartworm shots, until they were taken off the market because of some dog fatalities. I read online about the vaccine and most of the dogs who died were aged or not in good health so they are not sure if the vaccine is related to their deaths or not.
I used to give my dogs HeartGuard for heartworm prevention. It is quite expensive and their is a much cheaper alternative. The main ingredient Ivermectin kills heartworms. You can purchase Ivermectin or Ivomec injection(but you don't inject it) 1% solution for cattle and swine and use it in dogs!! I was told this by the Doberman rescue group I adopted my Roxi from. They have been using it for years and I for one year now. It works great!
Here is the link for directions on how to use this:
www.beaglesunlimited.com/
Here is one of the many websites where you can buy it:
www.upco.com/
Search for Ivermectin
Here is the website to buy the syringe (you only need to buy one as you keep using it over and over-(YOU DO NOT INJECT THE IVERMECTIN INTO YOUR DOG, only use the syringe to get the Ivermectin out of the injectable bottle):
Jim in Jax
We were told this past weekend that our dog has. We were told that the treatment could harm him including death. But without treatment he would also die. We started the treatment that Saturday. Scoby is doing just fine. The hard part is if you have a active pet, you have to keep it as calm as you can.
I am so sorry about your dog! I hope everything goes well for him. I do not remember what the site was, but some dog-owners were receiving compensation for their vet bills from the mfg. of the injectible. I think the parent company was Wyeth.
Help with vet bills does not even begin to help with the heartbreak of your dog being so sick. But, you know, it might be worth looking into because according to what I read, they didn't do the testing they should have, but marketed anyway. Having to pay pet owners might make a difference in future corporate decisions and save other pets' health.
I have had a dog that was a rescue and I had a private vet for her so the shots costed $600, but it was worth it. I wanted the dog. The shots almost killed my dog the the vet had to come at my house at 10:00 at night one night to pump fluid into her shoulders. If he had not come till the morning then the dog would be dead.
Jim In Jax, Hey, Thanks for the info about Ivermectin. I use that stuff on my goats. I was truly wondering if it would be cool to use on my pet French Bulldog and 2 English Bulldogs. I can also use it on my Great Pyrenesse and Rottwieler. Thanks, Teresa
Submitted via email:
My 4 year old lab was in great health. Almost 3 weeks ago he died I know from that heartworm shot. If I would have ever known about this I would never have given it to them shame on me for not doing my homework. It coated my very best friend in the world. They are doing tissue samples, and I hope I get the truth, but doubt it.
So please if you love your dog it is not worth it. I miss my baby. If they are to blame I will try to shut it down from making that poison they call it medicine but it is poison. They need to stop making it even it is one out of 500,000 if it is your dog the price is to hi.
Susan C.
Please don't use this shot our dog died this morning from it and if I had known I wouldn't have ever done this. I would do anything to have him back.
We lost our 2 three year old Pekinese dogs from this shot. They were litter mates. We lost the boy one month after the shot, and his sister 3 months later. Their symptoms played out the exact same way. Once the symptoms showed, they were gone within 4 days.
They had always had a hard time holding down the heartworm pills. So the doctor suggested the shot. We are so heart broken. The emergency vet and our regular vet claimed they hadn't heard anything about the shot being harmful. I just know that can't be true now that I read these posts.
We spent about $7,000 at the emergency vet. They could not figure out what exactly happened to them. They stopped making platelets, and their little bodies' just shut down. Oh, how I wish I could turn back the clock.
What is an alternative flea preventive other than vet supplied and/or heartworm preventive? The vet is getting too high for my budget.
By Nelwyn Mills
I get prescriptions from the vet & order my dog meds. online. They are at least 1/3 cheaper for the name brands and even cheaper for generics. Usually you can get free shipping too.
I will soon be adopting a 40 pound dog named Josh. This dog has heartworms and I am looking for what is the lowest price on Heartworm shots. What is the lowest price for a heartworm shot for a 40 lb dog that is not far in the process of heartworms?
Heartworm is a very serious condition. You have to know your veternarian (sp?) and be able to trust that his charges are fair. Don't delay. Get that dog cared for. Maybe the spca or some other organization could give you an idea of how much they usually cost. Or ask your local Animal Control Officer, is your town has one.
i adopted a large dog several years ago . the dog had heartworms. the treatment for killing heartworms is expensive and makes the dog so sick mine would not eat. it takes several days and getting them to eat is one worry,,, i tried boiled chicken and hand fed it to the dog ...she recovered and lived 7 more years, the only way. is the treatment.
not that cost is not important but you need to give that dog the best care possible. heart worm treatment is expensive. if you are adopting from a rescue they probably would help with the treatment. if cost is a concern maybe you shouldn't adopt this dog.
Do a search on Google and look for companies in Australia. I buy all my pet meds from a company down under because I save, even including the shipping in the price of the item. I use Revolution because it gets fleas and protects against heartworms and the pet can be bathed without it loosing it's effect. I went to my vet first though and would advise this.
Self treatment for heartworm is not an option and it is fatal unless treated ASAP. I agree with Sandy 63, if cost is a concern, perhaps this is not the dog for you.
Jennifer
Northern Virginia
I've never heard of heartworm shots - just pills. If the dog already has heartworms, he has to go through the whole treatment. If you give him the pills, it will kill all the worms at once and once dead they let go of the tissue and float through the blood stream. All of them dying at once will most likely block a blood vein and cause a heart attack. I also adopted a dog from the humane society that had heartworms. The suggestion to ask them for help in getting the necessary treatment is the best advice I've heard. I didn't even think of that. Also, recovery is very tricky!!!!!!!! I had a rat terrier (very hyper dogs). I was severly warned from the vet that he was not to get excited and jump around after treatment during recovery. Just letting him out of the carrier to go potty was tough. I kept a leash on him to try and keep his movements to a minimum at all times. He survived and was a blessing to our family. I hope all goes well for you. Pets are a very special blessing from God. That kind of unconditional love is even sometimes hard to find in your own parents and children.
Before you do this, make sure your dog is heartworm FREE!! Go to a vet and get the test, less than $20.
Then buy Ivomec (Ivermectin) 1% Injection for Cattle & Swine (this is what you use on dogs). Note-YOU NEVER INJECT THIS DIRECTLY INTO YOUR DOG, THIS IS GIVEN BY MOUTH... Buy at www.qcsupply.com/
You will also need a 3 cc syringe broken in to 1 cc or ml measurements (you won't use the needle part on the animal) only to remove the Ivomec from the bottle, then you remove the needle.... Use the needle and syringe over and over if you clean each time with water.... www.amazon.com/
Then go to here for instructions on how to administer this in the dog by mouth... www.beaglesunlimited.com/
Ivermectin is the same ingredient found in products like Heartguard at a fraction of the price... The date code on Ivomec is typically 2 - 3 years and you will have plenty in this one bottle for your 40 lb dog.... You will use .4 cc or ml (1cc = 1ml) monthly. That's less than 1/2 cc or ml monthly and the bottle has 50 ml inside... So, you have 100 months supply in the bottle but throw the rest away at the expiration date.... I also refrigerate mine.
WARNING: Ivermectin should be used with caution in collie breeds or collie mixed breeds due to potential toxic effects.
As always, glad to be of help!
Jim in Jax
I use this as well. 1cc per 100 lbs. Don't use the plus just regular. It usually runs about $35 per bottle.
Does anyone have any tips for treating dogs with heart worms naturally? I know natural tips to prevent them.
Cajunangel from Shreveport, LA
How do you prevent them naturally? Would love to know this. We treat them with ivermectin (cattle wormer) . This also gets rid of intestinal parasites. It's cheap and you can use it once a month. We use 1cc per 100lbs of body weight. Don't over do and don't use on young kittens or pups. God bless!
If your dog already has heart worms, you need to get to a VET IMMEDIATELY! Sometimes it can be TOO far along for even a vet to fix!
Hello--
Really, really important note about ivermectin. As far as I know, the injectible kind IS SAFE for dogs. However, don't make the mistake of thinking that ivermectin oral wormer for cattle or horses is ok--CAUSE IT'S NOT! The carrier agent can sicken or kill your dogs...Just a word to the wise--call your vet if you have any questions before using a wormer.
Look at this link:
www.holisticpetinfo.com/Conditions/heartworm.htm
This is only one of many. Most treatments use the same basic herbs. My 6 yr old dog has been on herbal treatment for 3 years. The vet told me that the treatment they provided cost $300- $600 and would include three weeks of confinement in vet hospital..No guarantee of success ( and treatment sometimes causes death.) I could not afford that, as much as I love Bumba. After lots of online searching I went to health food store and found a human parasitic treatment with all the herbs needed. It is called PARAGONE. Please check it out as it has worked for her! I treat for three weeks and break for three weeks.
Do a google search using "herbal treatments for heartworms". Theres a lot of good info out there! Best wishes,
We also treat our dogs once a month with ivermectin (one tenth cc per 10 pounds of body weight) The same vet who told us to do this as a cheaper alternative to Heartguard, told us that you can treat a dog that already has heart worms this way and in 18 months the heartworms will be gone. Not a fast cure, but I have heard the fast cures can kill your dog and you also have to keep the dog very quiet for 30 days. With this method, you don't.
Is this by injection or topical? Where should it be administered?
Thank you, this is very helpful
I am looking for recommendations for heartworm medication for my dogs. I would also like one that prevents ticks.
