Heartworms

Liability Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, and do not wish for you to use this information to diagnose a problem. Instead, it is offered as "food for thought" for responsible and educated dog owners.

HEARTWORM

If you live in an area inhabited by mosquitoes, we hope you'll give your puppy heartworm preventative monthly (during mosquito seasons) for his/her whole life. There are some alternatives you can do with heartworm prevention. I am not a vet, but have seen many references to this on the Internet.  Methods A and B might be much higher if you buy from a vet, because vets mark the medicines up quite a bit.  We use method C, below.

Heartworm alternative A:  About $3 per month.  Heartguard (or generic version) tablets/chews.  Example at:  http://www.petdrugs.com/

Heartworm alternative B:  About $3 per month.  Includes additional dewormer to get more intestinal worms, too. Example at:  http://www.discountpetdrugs.com/trpliblforsm.html 

Heartworm alternative C:  About 15 CENTS per month.  We give 1/4th to 1/2 of a cc (1/2 of a mL) of this liquid orally once per month to adult beagles weighing 20+ lbs, proportionally less for puppies. The 1/4th cc dose is good for heartworms, but the 1/2 cc dose also helps with intestinal worms.

It is the same medicine as the above options, but is in liquid form instead of a chewable tablet.  You can get a 1cc syringe from Wal-Mart, a pharmacy, or a vet and reuse it to give the puppy/dog it's medicine in the mouth each month. Don't overdose...I use the 1cc syringe (with no needle) with ONLY the correct amount for our dog's weight, so I know I don't give too much. It tastes bad, but you can mix it with tuna juice, orange juice, etc. if you want.  This also helps control the mange that is present on ALL dogs (demodectic mange) and will also treat a breakout of this mange if needed. 

The main problem with this method is purchasing volume...you might want to try getting a 20 cc bottle rather than a 50 cc bottle, or else share with friends.  Example at:  http://www.jefferslivestock.com/

PRECAUTIONS

Do not overdose with Ivermectin products.

Please note that herding breeds can have severe reactions to Ivermectin, the active ingredient in heartworm medications. If your dog is a sheltie, collie, or other herding breed, contact your veterinarian to discuss the best protocol for him/her.

Liability Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, and do not wish for you to use this information to diagnose a problem. Instead, it is offered as "food for thought" for responsible and educated dog owners.