The pugs get one immiticide shot on one day and another on the following day. Then they spend maybe 2 days more at the vet. None have been lame. A few have a “welp/welt?” but sometimes the non heartworm ones get that from the other vaccinations they got. The pugs I’ve had post heartworm treatment have been fat to almost emaciated, young and old, post URI or other ailment and they all received a full round of vacc’s as well. Half will be symptomatic afterwards – they have a cough/gag and that’s all for a few days to maybe 2 weeks. I’ve only had 4 out of 228 pugs die from probable pulmonary embolism. One was necropsied and he had a very bad case of worms. He was full of 12-18 inch worms, so he was severe. Some of the vets that do half-way slow-kill give doxy for a month prior to immiticide and then another month of doxy and then the second immiticide and that’s it. The rescue won’t do the non-immiticide slow kill. Takes too long and people are afraid to adopt a dog with heartworm.
