[Shawna]

Hi Marie — I LOVE Dr. Falconers take on heartworm preventative/treatment (and he’s in Texas I think). There is another vet in Florida that does similar. And Dr. Martin Goldstein, per his book, treats heartworm with a glandular and several “tinctures”. Granted Goldstein is in New York but he says he has clients all over the US.

Losul — Have you ever posted a picture of Turbo? I can’t remember?

Determining when to start heartworm can be difficult but using a calendar and marking down the highs for the day (as it starts to get warmer can help).. Different researchers have found different temps and durations so going with the least makes sense. IF temperatures are below 57 degrees the larvae can not develop in the mosquito. And temps need to be high enough for long enough for the larvae to develop from L1 to L3 before the mosquito dies. It takes about 10 to 14 days at temps of 80 for the development to happen. So if temps are warm one day then 52 for five days, then a 60 degree day and a few more cool days etc, the mosquito will likely die before the larvae can develop into L3 stage. If pup is bit when larvae is at L1 or L2 stage — nothing happens. This page discusses some of the findings regarding temps http://www.acreaturecomfort.com/heartworminfo.htm

I found a, what I think to be, good alternative that should make things less complicated though. “There is more to transmission than simply the presence of mosquitoes; it must also be warm enough for a long enough time period to allow the development of microfilariae to infective L3’s within the mosquito’s body. A simple formula involves counting the degrees above 57 degrees F reached each day. Each degree is called a “heartworm development unit” and when 234 heartworm development units have accumulated within a 30-day period, conditions have been reached to allow the transmission of L3 heartworm to new hosts. A monthly heartworm pill, chewable, or topical must be given at the end of a month in which 234-heartworm development units has accumulated.

When 30 days pass and 234 heartworm development have not accumulated, mosquitoes will be dying from the cold before any microfilariae they carry can develop to the infective stage. Monthly heartworm preventive needs not be given after a month under these conditions.” http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_heartworm_prevention.html

Hope that helps.. 🙂