Does anyone know the side effects of using heartworm prevention (such as Revolution or HeartGuard) on a heartworm positive dog? I know they can have mild or severe reactions, but can someone give me examples of which kinds of mild or severe reactions could occur?

Thanks!

P.S. I am just curious, my dog does not have heartworm.

The question was answered by :
doc's wife :
The worry is that if the prev. kills any active heartworm- it could break off, leave the heart and travel to the lungs, causing a PE.

I have rescued a female mini schnauzer and she has heartworm I just found out, the previous owner never gave her heartguard. I called my vet and he said she would need to stay at the vet hospital for 1 week and needs an injection in her spine to kill all the worms. Does this sound right? Is it really harsh on the dog? He is charging $300 for everything which I think is a really good price. Any feedback from people who have had to go through this with their dog would be helpful, thanks!

The following reply is by : K9Resqer :
We see several HW+ dogs in rescue every year. I’ve fostered several myself and even kept one of them.

We’ve never had one stay at the vet for a week. Usually they’re there 24-48 hours after the shot for observation and then sent home.

We did have one dog that was given the injection in his spine. He looked so silly because he had shaved spots on his back for the longest time.

The “usual” heartworm treatment is to inject a concoction that includes arsenic to kill the worms. So yes, it can be harsh on a dog. But much better than the dog suffering, and dying, from heartworms.

You’ll need to keep the dog quiet for a month after treatment. No full out running, leash walking only, etc. This is because the worms will be breaking up and if they get into the bloodstream the dog can throw a clot and die.

If the dog is in early stages of heartworm disease, there’s no reason why she can’t make a full recovery.

Good luck!

Cats recieve 0.9mg/lb of interceptor for heartworm prevention.
Dogs recieve 0.23mg/lb of interceptor for heartworm prevention.

The best answer is by :
grysmn :
More areas to protect. Cats are also more likely to have aberrant migration of heartworm larvae, resulting in infections in the brain or body cavities.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartworms#Feline_heartworm_disease

There are a few dogs that i am interested in adopting but the ones I have seen are heartworm postive. Is that extremely expensive?

The following reply is by : Cindy :
It depends on several things:

+ The infestation itself. If it's low grade,the treatment is less expensive…

+ The area in which you live.

+ Individual vets… some are more expensive and some are less…

Talk to your vet and ask. This is a very treatable disease and you shouldn't skip the dogs that are sick. Those dogs could all make great pets and do deserve a chance.

I have "adopted" a stray and we have just found out she is heartworm positive. Can she pass this on to our other dog who is not heartworm positive?

The following reply is by : MerryMouseMomma :
Heartworms are transferred via mosquito bites. Your other animals are definitely at a higher risk being in such close vicinity to the infected dog, as mosquitoes tend to stick by their food sources and bite more than once. If you have not had your infected dog professionally treated yet, please do so immediately. Heartworms do not go away, but only continue to reproduce until all the chambers of the heart and arteries to the lungs are clogged…which is lethal. The treatment for heartworms can be expensive, but you will save the dog from a painful death. Please have your other animals tested and put on heartworm preventative prescriptions as soon as possible.

My pup has had a deworming, but do I still need to take him for a heartworm test?

The answer is provided by :
Emma :
When people use the term deworming they are referring to medication for intestinal worms such are round, whip, hook and tape worms. Heartworms is something entirely different, in Australia we don't do heartworm test on pups they just get put straight onto heartworm prevention such as heartguard or revolution etc but on an older dog that hasn't been on heartworm prevention we do a heartworm test (blood test) to ensure it does not already have heartworm before being put on preventative medication. It may be done differently in the country you live in as I have noticed over time from some posts on here that USA seems to do things a little different than we do them here so give your vet a call. Regardless your dog does need to be put on heart worm preventative as well as be treated for intestinal worms.

Revolution is great as it does heartworm, fleas, eggs and larvae as well as sarcoptic mites and ear mites. It is a topical treatment that is applied to the back of the neck once a month.

With intestinal worms treatment for puppies they need to be treated every 2 weeks until the pup is 12 weeks then every month till they reach 6 months of age then every 3 months after that for life. I use drontal for this.

Hope this helped.

I live in the south where "skeeters" are bad. I am trying to switch my dogs over to all holistic treatments. I am very weary of them getting heartworms. Any information would be helpful.

The following reply is by : Mouse :
I don't think I would even begin to take that chance. A dog with heart worms has to go through some difficult treatments. You live in a bad area for hearworm, buy the meds and then you won't have to worry. Holistic is good in a lot of areas, you just have to be sure you are in the right area, don't risk it.

I have been told by my vet office that will not release "okay" to online companies that I order pet meds from, because they can not "guarantee" like in the case of Hearguard for heartworm prevention… and things like this… then how in the world are they even able to sell it with the same packaging and all?

This is was answered by :
☆takecareofmycat☆ :
This question requires a very thorough answer and because of that, I'll just leave this article for you to read and get more info. It's written by a vet and very detailed.

http://www.dolittler.com/index.cfm/2008/3/13/pets.vet.veterinary.prescription.1800petmeds.dogs.cats

I have not had my dogs checked this year yet, but want to start them on a heartworm medicine. Is this in some way bad for the animal?

The answer is provided by :
Bozema :
Never start preventative without getting the heartworm test first. If they are positive, then the preventative can harm them - the worms can die and cause blockages in the heart and the circulatory and respiratory system.

We have a holland lop bunny - he is an indoor pet but wants to spend time doing something different. We want to put him in a rabbit hutch outside for part of the day as long as it is nice outside. I don't want him to get heartworms or fleas - any advice?

This is was answered by :
Guinea pig foster mother :
According to the House Rabbit Society, Revolution (selamectin) is generally safe for use on rabbits. However, you'll need to consult a rabbit-savvy veterinarian to determine the correct dosage and treatment regimen for your rabbit. It is NOT necessarily safe to apply Revolution using the instructions given for animals of other species. If you live in the United States, I suggest consulting the list of US rabbit vets at http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html . If you're in any other country, go to http://www.rabbitvet.net/ instead.

By the way, one flea-prevention product NEVER to use on a rabbit is Frontline (fipronil), which is linked to neurological damage and death in rabbits.

Fleas are only one of the hazards faced by rabbits who spend time outdoors. See http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/hazards.html for information on others to avoid. In your shoes, the hazard I'd worry about the most is that of predators trying to attack my rabbit. Even if they can't break into the hutch, the terror of an attack could do lasting harm to the rabbit. It might be a good idea to bring a book outside and sit next to your rabbit's hutch so you can chase away any stray cats or other predators. If your rabbit will have access to fresh grass while outdoors, another thing to think about is whether any chemicals have been applied to the lawn that may be harmful when ingested.