Search Results for 'heartworm meds'

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  • #146057
    Sidelle B
    Member

    Sentinel Spectrum is POISON Period
    My Timba is 1/2 German Shepherd & 1/2 Huskie. Gave it to him for 3 yrs before he had a Seizure. He had it 2/25/19 Lasted a long time. He threw up out back 1st. He looked like a bug dying from being Sprayed. My Security Camera caught the whole thing. I posted it on FB. I researched EVERYWHERE. Did Elimination. Complete Blood Work Up. I was afraid it might be Vectra D. The FDA needs to step in & step up to checking these things out. People that buy these Meds only do it because they LOVE their FAM Members. It’s Not Cheap. His Bloodwork came back Normal. Called owner of the Timba’s father & no history of Seizure in either one. Was afraid to use Vectra again but if 1 flea is around it will find me. Natural Stuff doesn’t work. Used Vectra & he was Ok. I’m not diligent on Heartworm pills in off months but in April thought I better give it. So gave it to him. May 13th he came in & collapsed at my feet into a Seizure. This time seemed more like a Seizure & I tried to talk him thru it & pet him. Didn’t last as long as 1st one. Called my Vet. Took him in. Bought the Meds & asked what he would do. I said I didn’t want to put him on it yet. I had a dog years ago that was Epileptic. He ran into things etc. & flashing lights like Xmas would send him into one. Timba was Different. He said he’d do what I wanted to do. Buy the Meds to Have on hand & see if he has another Seizure. I wanted to find out the REASON & knew I wouldn’t if I put him on Meds. I Bought Purina Neurocare which he recommended.
    Timba loved it at 1st. I think it’s Cleaned his system out along w Milk Thistle & pureed watermelon. So now it’s already June & I think I should give him the Pill. He liked it in the Beginning. But Lately didn’t want to take them. Dogs are Smart & KNOW things when WE don’t. I watched another video of someone’s dog having a seizure after some Flea stuff. I thought about it & decided I wouldn’t give it. Afterall How TOXIC does something have to be to KILL things like Fleas from inside. That is a GIVEN & NO ONE should Give any of that. I finally found a Blog of this lady w 3 GSDs & Wow. I knew this was why he had a SEIZURE.
    Never gave SENTINEL SPECTRUM POISON Again. Even wrote them. It took 3 yrs. for this GARBAGE to manifest into a Seizure for My Baby. He has not had another one. I still use Vectra D . If I use any Heartworm med again it would be Interceptor since it seems Safest but I don’t know that I will. You can draw their blood for titers to catch the larvae before it’s a worm. I live in SoCal & my Vet said I probably don’t have to worry too much unless I take him to the Mtns or beach. It’s now been 4 months. No Seizures…………… SENTINEL SPECTRUM IS POISON
    I had a dog get Heartworms years ago when I was in Okla for a couple years. Was Terrible but we treated him & he got better & lived another 7 yrs.
    https://www.facebook.com/sidelle/videos/10216707066167999/UzpfSTEyMDE4MDA3MDM6Vks6NDA0NzA4MjcwMjMyNDM0/?comment_id=405162720186989&reply_comment_id=405170330186228&notif_id=1567985476776943&notif_t=group_comment

    #143982
    Patricia A
    Participant

    Christine is it a possibility that low blood sugar is contributing to seizure activity since he eats only once a day and very little? Maybe some lean boiled hamburger topper with kibble and string beans, carrots will help with his appetite and assure he gets enough animal protein. I boil chicken and add a tiny bit of the water to kibble also. Also maybe below article is of help. Common causes of seizures are flea/tick meds even when discontinued can result in ongoing seizures in some dogs as well as heart worm meds and vaccinations.
    Diet and Epilepsy Link

    Environmental control is a significant element in gaining better management of your dog’s seizures. Start with what goes into him. Feeding a home-prepared diet, cooked or raw, can make all the difference for some dogs. Though there are virtually no studies to determine whether there is a relationship between diet and seizure activity, many holistic veterinarians report anecdotal evidence that a top-quality home-prepared diet can play a large part in management of seizures.

    Allergy testing for grain and protein sensitivities is another tool you can use to identify and remove any potential seizure triggers.

    Dr. Kelleher also advocates the use of taurine supplementation for epileptic dogs at a dose of 250 milligrams per 40 pounds body weight daily. Taurine supplementation is especially important for dogs who eat commercial and grain-based diets. This amino acid is found in the central nervous system and skeletal muscle and is concentrated in the brain and heart. It’s unknown whether that has anything to do with the fact that taurine supplementation can reduce seizure activity, especially in those dogs experiencing tremors or noise triggered seizures. Discuss this or any other supplement with your dog’s veterinarian.

    If feeding a home-prepared diet isn’t possible, find the highest-quality commercial dog food. Grains in the diet, including treats, should be kept to a minimum.

    Keep in mind that many commercial dog foods include rosemary extract and sage, both of which are known to be seizure triggers in some sensitive dogs. Processed treats like rawhide chews and pigs ears should also be avoided with epileptics. Sharing human food containing MSG or cured products like hot dogs and luncheon meats is also not recommended. Many human takeout foods, instant, ready made, and convenience foods also contain chemical ingredients that can be adverse to the health of a seizure-prone dog. Cleaning up your dog’s diet is good incentive to do the same with your own.

    Frequent, small meals are helpful in managing epilepsy, as keeping the blood sugar stabilized seems to help. Hypoglycemia can contribute to seizure activity, especially in smaller breeds where the dog’s digestive tract and his meals are proportionately smaller. Grain products are especially suspect in animals who have seizures regularly. Feeding frequent, small meals is also helpful for coping with the increased hunger experienced by dogs who are given phenobarbital. Snacks such as fresh or steamed vegetables or fruit pieces are great low calorie treats that can keep your dog satisfied and increase his seizure threshold.

    Other Canine Epilepsy Triggers

    Despite the changes in recommended vaccine protocols recommended by most of the major university-based veterinary medical schools, many veterinarians continue to recommend annual vaccinations for their patients. In a seizure-prone dog, a vaccine booster can trigger seizure activity for at least 30 days. This is one reason that Dr. Dodds recommends avoiding routine vaccination for canine epileptics.

    Many owners of epileptic dogs ask their veterinarians to test their dogs’ vaccine titer levels instead, to ensure the animals have adequate antibodies to protect them from disease. If the results indicate a dog does not have adequate immune protection for a particular disease, the appropriate vaccination can be administered individually, rather than in a “5 in 1” vaccine combination.

    Regular rabies vaccines are required in each state by law. These vaccines can be especially risky for epileptics; owners of epileptic dogs have lots of anecdotal evidence of this. Check with your local municipality to see if proof of adequate vaccine titer test results are acceptable in place of vaccinating an epileptic dog annually . Many towns and cities will accept documented titer tests as proof of vaccination.

    Since exposure to many chemicals can trigger seizures in sensitive dogs, it should not come as a surprise that many heartworm and flea preventative treatments that are systemically administered can be disastrous for many epileptic dogs. While elimination of these treatments is not always possible, care must be taken with a seizure-prone dog when preventing heartworm infestation. Several of the most popular heartworm preventatives actually list tremors or convulsions as rare side effects, and can be contraindicated with a dog that is given daily phenobarbital.

    Flea products containing insect growth regulator can cause twitching and muscle weakness when an animal is overexposed. Keep in mind these cautions are given for normal canine populations. An epileptic is commonly more sensitive to these products and great care must be taken when protecting them from heartworm and flea infestation.

    #140410
    malinda r
    Participant

    I have a dog that has had frequent issues with recurring diarrhea, vomiting, mucus stools, etc. I would just say after that long bout of diarrhea a lot of foods will be irritating right now, even the foods that normally she might do really well on. I can’t tell exactly from your post if you did the ground meat or how long, but it is good to do the ground meat diet 2-3 days and then slowly introduce some other foods.
    After feeding my dog ground turkey a couple of days his diarrhea disappears and his bowels are much smaller and less frequent. When I then start to add other foods, it is easy to see if they are agreeable or not if he has reaction, like loose bowel or rumbling/gurgling stomach.

    I have had great results for my sensitive dog with Stella&Chewys, health extension cans of wet, Carna4 dry. I also order cooked food from Evermore. If you have to feed a dry due to work/schedule, check out Carna4, it is pretty incredible. I first start feeding it a few months ago, changing nothing else in my dogs diet. As he has transitioned to it fully, his BM is so much smaller and compact, which from what I read is considered healthy.

    Try to be as preventative as possible. If I notice a loose bowel or lots of trips outside I immediately start feeding ground meat, before the dog gets to a stage of vomiting with the diarrhea. It seems like at a certain point a vet trip is unavoidable, so I try to not let him get to that stage. My dog had several vet trips with antibiotics the first year to second year I had him, and the antibiotics are not helpful long term. Since I have starting watching more closely and acting quickly he has done so well. I think he has vomited1-2 times in the past 3 years, which is amazing considering how frequent it was the first year I had him.

    My dog also has a reaction to his heartworm med, which is monthly for him, something for you to think about. You might record when he gets different meds for what and see if there is any physical effects for the couple of days following.

    #139235
    Patricia A
    Participant

    anon what exactly is incorrect in the article regarding transmission?
    HOLISTIC LOOK AT HEARTWORM PREVENTION

    A few days ago, one of my friends living in Vermont called me. She was wondering what I thought about heartworm prevention. She asked me to help her determine if the monthly administration of heartworm preventive medication is really necessary. The question threw me back to the 90s when heartworm prevention drug manufacturers decided to take North America by storm. I remember the drug reps visiting vet clinics on a regular basis telling us that it was only a matter of time and heartworm would be widespread in Canada. These visits were also accompanied by a subtle suggestion that selling heartworm tests and preventive drugs could be a significant source of income for the practice.
    As time progressed, the heartworm doom and gloom scenario didn’t happen and the risk of heartworm infection in my area was clearly exaggerated.

    On the basis of my findings, I made the decision not to recommend heartworm preventive drugs in the area of my practice because the risk was practically zero and administering any drugs is never optimal. In reality, no one can be absolutely certain if preventive medication doesn’t increase the tendency to chronic disease, organ failure or even cancer down the road.

    On the other hand, my friend’s situation is quite different because she lives in the eastern U.S., where heartworm is a real possibility. I saw her question as a great opportunity for me to review the lifecycle of heartworm once again to see if drug companies were honest about their recommendations for monthly prevention. To me, the monthly administration seemed to be kind of peculiar because, as far as I know, parasites do not carry an iPhone with a calendar and schedule.

    I decided to bring clarity to the current situation to see what frequency is needed for heartworm preventive drugs and also tell you more about the heartworm prevention alternatives that I use with my dog Skai. In order to do so, I need to give you answers to the following questions:

    What is the risk of heartworm disease in your area?

    What is the minimal frequency of administering preventive drugs?

    Are there any alternatives?

    1. HEARTWORM INCIDENCE

    The life cycle of heartworm is dependent on a temperature that remains above 57F (14C) for at least 45 days straight and at least two weeks of temperatures over 80F (26C). If these conditions are not fulfilled, the parasite cycle cannot be completed and your dog is safe.

    Based on the recommendations of Dr. David Knight and Dr. James Lok from the American Heartworm society, even with the most cautious conventional medical protocols, a year-round heartworm preventive schedule is exaggerated with the exception of Florida, some parts of Texas and Hawaii. According to their conventional opinion, preventive treatment is unnecessary in the winter months and definitely doesn’t need to be started before or after the months noted on the map in their paper.

    2. HEARTWORM LIFE CYCLE

    Before you succumb to the marketing pressure and fear and administer heartworm medicine monthly, I urge you to learn more about the heartworm life cycle. Heartworm development goes through several stages before reaching maturity and it takes two-and-a-half to four months before the tiny stage of microfilaria leaves the muscles and starts settling in the pulmonary artery. When heartworm reaches its final destination in the pulmonary artery near the heart, it takes about three to four months to reach maturity.

    One doesn’t need to have a degree in math to figure that it takes somewhere between five-and-a-half to eight months for microfilaria to mature into an adult worm and that your dog should be safe if you administer heartworm meds only once every three to four months if you live in an area where heartworm occurs.

    So why would the drug companies recommend monthly heartworm prevention? The reason is clearly identified in Drs. Knight and Lok’s study:

    “…given what is presently known, continued adherence to a policy of superfluous chemoprophylaxis is disquieting because financial expediency for the veterinarian conflicts with clinical objectivity and client consent is predicated on unrealistic expectations. Clients mistakenly believe that they are purchasing additional protection for their pets, but in reality they are not. If the truth was known to them, few clients would agree to unnecessarily double their expense for heartworm prevention.”

    In real language, most vets are too busy to question the recommendations that drug companies give them about heartworm prevention. I strongly believe that the main reason for over recommending heartworm prevention (chemoprophylaxis) dose frequency is that drug companies can double or triple their revenues.

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    3. SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO HEARTWORM PREVENTIVE DRUGS

    My dog Skai and I travel to Hawaii approximately twice a year for two months and I had to face the dilemma of what to do about heartworm. I never felt totally comfortable about giving him any drugs because, in my mind, there is no such thing as a little bit of poison.

    Luckily, advances in heartworm testing brought about DNA testing on the basis of PCR technology, which allows me to test three times a year for any presence of heartworm. This test has virtually no false negatives, which is great news for your dog.

    I can see that these tests are a serious threat to the hefty profits of heartworm meds manufacturers because they are simply not needed if you follow this formula. The duration of the heartworm season can be found on the map on page 79 of the study.

    Season Duration Number of Tests Required
    (The last should be done at the end of the heartworm season)
    Less than four months 1 test
    Four – eight months 2 tests
    Eight – 12 months 3 tests
    Considering the facts above, in order to prevent heartworm and keep your dog safe, all you need to do is test your dog if you live in an affected area. If the results are positive (heartworm DNA is present) make sure that you consult your veterinarian before administering any heartworm meds. Heartworm preventive medication can be used only if adult heartworms are NOT present because using preventive drugs on adult heartworm can cause serious problems and a different treatment protocol must be used.

    CONCLUSION

    I regret to say that similar to the vaccination scam, monthly heartworm prevention is yet another dishonest marketing plot. What I am confused about is why drug companies continuously try to trick us and frighten us, instead of making a living the honest way. No matter what they are planning to try next, I believe that eventually, they will have to become more honest in order to survive because it is much more difficult to hide the truth in the age of worldwide web.

    Wishing you a happy, more informed heartworm season.

    © Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

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    #139206
    anonymous
    Member

    Quote “So if you’re worried give half the chew one day then the rest the next day so they aren’t getting such a huge dose immediately” .

    The full dose needs to be given at the same time for the drug to be effective. The combined ingredients work together and the drug is out of the dog’s system within 24 hours. They kill the mosquito larvae that may have developed the month prior, not the month ahead.

    http://news.petmeds.com/news/pet-meds/why-you-should-not-split-heartworm-medication-between-dogs/

    “When splitting oral heartworm medication (especially soft chews), it is possible that you will not divide it evenly thereby resulting in one dog getting a smaller or larger dose. Additionally, oral heartworm medications have the active ingredients blended throughout and while theoretically the active ingredients are evenly distributed, there is no guarantee that there will be an equal concentration of the medication in each part. So, even if you’re able to split the chew exactly, one half could still have a higher or lower concentration of the active ingredients”

    #139164
    Patricia A
    Participant

    canineCanine heartworm disease is transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

    In the worst case scenario, it results in a fatal worm infestation in the heart and blood vessels of an infected dog.

    Fortunately, heartworm disease can be prevented. It can also be successfully treated when caught in time.

    The American Heartworm Society (AHS), an organization that studies the disease, its treatment and prevention, recommends yearly heartworm testing for all dogs. The AHS also recommends year-round chemical preventives for every dog over the age of eight weeks, regardless of where the dog lives.

    Dr. Becker’s Comments:
    The American Heartworm Society has three “platinum” sponsors and five “bronze” sponsors. All eight are major pharmaceutical manufacturers.

    It comes as no surprise, then, that the AHS recommends year-round, birth-to-death heartworm prevention drugs – no matter where you live, the time of year, the age of your dog, his size or health status.

    What’s Wrong with This Picture?
    Three things, specifically:

    Huge conflict of interest potential. Heartworm prevention through the overuse of potentially toxic medications sold by pharmaceutical giants like Bayer Healthcare, Merial and Pfizer, is a virtual money machine for drug manufacturers, online retailers, testing laboratories, veterinarians and any other entity that can find a way to cash in.

    When there’s money on the table – in this case billions of dollars – your pet’s health and quality of life can quickly become a secondary concern.

    Note also that the ASH recommendation for year-round dosing is not because your pet needs it year-round in every state, but because it’s assumed dog owners will forget to re-start the medication when the weather warms up.

    And by the way – heartworm “preventives” don’t actually prevent your pet from getting worms. What they do is poison the larvae at the microfilaria (L1-L2) stage of development, causing them to die.

    Relatively low actual incidence of life-threatening infection. Heartworm disease is more difficult to acquire – and less lethal – than the dire warnings and marketing claims for chemical preventives would have you believe.

    In order for heartworm disease to take hold, a precise sequence of events must occur involving the right climate, the right temperature for the right amount of time, the right species and sex of mosquito, and your dog’s less-than-optimal immune system function.

    This information is not intended to minimize the need to protect your dog, but only to point out the actual potential for heartworm disease is less than you’ve been led to believe by financially-motivated marketing campaigns designed to scare pet owners into buying 12 doses of preventive, year in and year out, regardless of where you live!

    The existence of less toxic recommendations. There are less harmful protocols to prevent heartworm in your dog than a lifetime of once-monthly, year-round doses of toxic drugs.
    How Heartworm Disease Happens
    Heartworms are a variety of roundworm with the clinical name dirofilaria immitis. They are spread by mosquitoes.

    Dogs can only get heartworm disease through infected mosquitoes. They can’t get it from other dogs or other types of animals, from dog feces, or from their mothers while in the womb or through nursing.

    Only certain mosquitoes can transmit heartworm to your dog. These mosquitoes must meet certain precise criteria, including:

    They must be female.
    They must be of a species that allows development of the worms in the cells of the body (not all species do).
    They must be of a species that feeds on mammals (not all do).
    They must have bitten an animal infected with stage 1 (L1) heartworms about two weeks prior, since approximately 14 days are necessary for the larvae from the other animal to develop to stage 3 (L3) inside the transmitting mosquito.
    This mosquito must then bite your dog. When the larvae reach stage L4-L5, which takes three to four months, under
    the right conditions they can travel via your dog’s bloodstream to the lungs and heart.

    If your dog’s immune system doesn’t destroy these ********, they will reach maturity (L6), the adult stage, in which males can grow to six inches in length and females to 12.

    Two other critically important features in the transmission of heartworm are:

    The right temperature. During the time the heartworm larvae are developing from L1 to L3 inside an infected mosquito, which is approximately a two-week period, the temperature must not dip below 57°F at any point in time. If it does, the maturation cycle is halted. According to Washington State University heartworm report from 2006, full development of the larvae requires “the equivalent of a steady 24-hour daily temperature in excess of 64°F (18°C) for approximately one month.”
    Humidity and standing water. Mosquitoes are a rarity in dry climates.
    As you can see, in order for your dog to develop heartworm disease, a number of things have to happen with near-perfect timing under a precise set of circumstances.

    Information on how many cases of canine heartworm disease occur each year in the U.S. is scarce. The AHS provides a heartworm incidence map for the years 2001, 2004 and 2007 which you might find helpful. Keep in mind it is a very general guideline and shouldn’t be viewed as the only decision-making tool at your disposal.

    Assessing Your Dog’s Risk
    There are only a few areas in the U.S. in which giving a nine month to year-round heartworm preventive might be advisable – those areas are in south Texas, south Florida, and a few other locations along the Gulf coast. The rest of the U.S. ranges from three to seven months of high exposure risk. The majority of states are at six months or less.

    Given that heartworm preventives are insecticides designed to kill heartworm larvae inside your animal, and therefore have the potential for short and long-term side effects damaging to your pet’s health, the first bit of information you need is your dog’s actual risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes.

    • This topic was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Patricia A.
    Jaimie K
    Member

    I will look into feeding less kibble, thanks for the suggestion! I have been researching probiotics as well, and will pick one of those up next time I’m at the pet store that carries them.

    I agree, I don’t want her on antibiotics much longer, especially since all of her tests have been negative for bacteria. If there was any indication that there was unusual or a higher amount of bacteria present in her GI tract, I’d be fine with it until the tests were normal again, but thats not the case. I feel like we’re just putting her on meds for the heck of it.

    She is not on monthly heartworm, we do the ProHeart injection instead (every 6 months).

    #131953
    anonymous
    Member

    Quote “Well, scouring the net, Royal Canine does not seem to have a good reputation in general”

    Stop scouring the net! Too much bogus information. Listen to a veterinary healthcare professional that has examined the dog. What worked for someone else’s dog won’t necessarily work for yours.

    Five days! Give the dog a break, they need at least a month to transition. She is probably grieving her previous home.
    Some dogs stop eating when they are kenneled, never mind being sent to a new home.
    A small breed at 6 months is almost an adult.
    In fact, I hope she has been fixed. The vets those shelters use do the bare minimum due to budget constraints.
    Usually just vaccinations and a quick look over…not a thorough exam.
    Make sure her teeth are okay, small breeds have lousy teeth, if there is pain that would explain her reluctance to eat.
    This is a good time to find a vet near home and have a meet and greet. Discuss flea/tick prevention, heartworm meds, etc.

    #131138
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Cheryl,

    Which Flea product did he take?? did you report to FDA
    https://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/178817671296/fda-warning-flea-tick-products#.XGu5YvZuI5t

    When you do get a new dog DO NOT use any of these never Flea chews they’re poison,
    “Frontline Plus Spot on” or “Frontline Spray” only penitrates 2 layers of the dogs skin, so it doesn’t go into the dogs blood & poison the poor dog… I do not use any Flea products, Heartworm meds, dont vaccinate after the dog is 2 yrs old

    Follow “Dr John Robb Protect The Pets”
    https://www.facebook.com/DRRobbPTP/
    they have found a dogs vaccination last up to 7 yrs, so why are these vets over vaccinating our pets & now if you have a small dog under 50lbs – 25kg check & make sure the vaccination dose is 1/2 the amount..

    Follow “Rodney Habib” on his F/B page he post about nutrition, over vaccinating, diets, dog behaviour, why is your dog so hyper its probably whats he’s eating, Rodney & Dr Karen Becker are both a wealth of information to bring up a healthy dog, he’s doing a story at teh moment oldest living dogs & what they ate.. it wasnt dry kibble try & stay away from over processed dry kibble…
    Look into feeding a raw diet or if you cant handle raw look at Freeze dried/Dehydrated raw…there’s heaps of good brands around..
    https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

    #127939
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Christine,

    I would stay away from all dog fish dry/wet foods they have been found to be High in Heavy Metals, Toxins & Contaminates..
    The Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon formula has been on the 1 star high in toxins/heavy metals list. The company list changes every 3 months when they re test 299 most popular Dog & Cat Wet, Dry & Treat foods..
    Google dog foods Contaminates, Heavy Metals, Im not allow to post the link…

    Can you feed him a home made fresh raw or cooked balance diet ? this will be healthier diet then dry kibble… or start adding fresh whole foods to his kibble & reduce his kibble amount, buy tin Sarines in Spring water drain water & add 1/4 of a can to 1 meal a day, also Salmon drain water add 2 spoons to his meal, broccolli, peel/de seed apple, mussels, egg, fresh whole foods, left over after you’ve cooked dinner foods will be healthier then the dry kibble, I buy the Freeze Dried Mussels & give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat depends how big the mussels are you can also buy frozen mussels…

    Pitbulls Staffys are known to suffer with stomach problems so keep that in mind with his poo eating..
    He might be suffering with stomach problems if not, then after eating his brothers poo this isnt healthy.
    My Staffy a rescue has IBD & when I first got him he was eating poo,
    He needed to fix his gut bacteria get it healthy again, I put him on a dog probiotic powder add 10-15ml water with the recommend amount of probiotic powder, swirl water around in bowl to dissolve the probiotic give in morning on empty stomach as a treat…or buy Kefir give as a drink in the morning for breakfast, Bone Broth it’s very healthy for the gut aswell.

    I do no give my Staffy any Heartworm meds, my Boxer was given the yearly heartworm injection, after 1 of her injections when she was 7yrs old her gums went white she fainted & became very unwell & had to be rushed back to the vets, so the next time the vet reduced the heartworm dose, then I stopped giving them to her after I learnt she had cancer, she had Mast Cell cancer so keep an eye out for any weird type worts, lumps, skin tags etc especially around back legs.
    I don’t live in a high heartworm area there hasn’t been any cases now over 30yrs I asked my vet the other month cause Patch was getting his wierd wort/skin tags all removed & the vet wasn’t concerned about Patch not being heartwormed, she said they dont see any cases these days, But I live in Australia, so no need to give him posions to kill heartworms he probably doesnt even have, also the Mosquito has to bite an infected dog then come along & bite your dog then infect your dog, this take 6months to become a heartworm….

    I do not use any flea chews etc they are very toxic, they attack the flea & ticks nervous system & paralyze the flea & tick causing neurological problems with some dogs.
    If you have to use a flea product just use “Frontline Spot On ” or the “Frontline Spray” Frontline only penitrates 2 layers of the dogs skin & doesn’t go into their blood system like the other flea products, you can also make natural sprays aswell.

    Follow “Rodney Habib” he is always posting short video’s
    https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
    also follow
    “Dr. John Robb – Protect the Pets” do not over vaccinate.
    https://www.facebook.com/DRRobbPTP/

    HoundMusic
    Participant

    “Has anyone else dealt with hookworm? My vet says that hookworm can play a number on the gastrointestinal tract and cause a lot of inflammation and it may take many months to recover.”

    I had a litter almost wiped out by the little devils, and on a very rare occasion had a hound or two contract them from wild rabbit.

    And they are half impossible to get rid of. Hartgard is useless for the prevention or treatment of hooks, as the medications are only effective for heartworms and roundworms. For hooks, you need fenbendazole (panacur), and regardless of negative fecals, which can be misleading if worms or eggs are not present in that particular stool sample, you MUST continue to de-worm on a regular basis for the next several months. Believe me, they will never go away otherwise.

    Hookworms wreak havoc on the GI tract, so you might want to consider giving anti-inflammatory meds or supplements (turmeric in small doses is helpful sometimes), and forget the yogurt because an overwhelmed digestive system does not need more bacteria or irritating milk proteins. Also, for certain types of digestive issues, lowering dietary fat sometimes works because higher fat = more lubricated bowels :/

    If you want my unorthodox recommendation for foods, I’ll say this. My litter with hookworms had not only ongoing digestive upsets, but a skin condition that caused open, bloody, purulent sores. In that instance, I had excellent results switching off “designer” food and onto Purina ONE, which cured the sores and internal damage in a matter of days. However, any dog I’ve ever owned with any sort of digestive issue, from mild maldigestion to inability to handle food due to starvation, to a life threatening case of ulcerative colitis, have all responded beautifully to Pedigree. My 2 cents.

    #115428

    In reply to: Pepcid ac and b12

    weezerweeks
    Participant

    I don’t buy anything from 1-800 meds because I had a friend who bought heartworm medicine from them and gave it every month and her dog got heartworms. They had to pay for the treatment because she proved it. I think it had something to do with storage. Susie I’ve heard that only the injections work. I’m going to see my vet tomorrow to see what he says.

    #106719

    In reply to: Puppy Scratching

    GSDsForever
    Participant

    “Vet says he’s too young for allergy.”

    I have had multiple dogs with allergies, food and otherwise, been advised by specialists and excellent experienced general practice vets, as well as done my own judicious research and I have NEVER heard that from any source. I would question that.

    While my current dog has had the most challenging to figure out and overcome allergies I have personally encountered, she is now doing exceptionally well. We (my vet & I) have used a multi-pronged approach for this dog that has both food and environmental allergies.

    I agree w/anon — see a different vet, get a second opinion and get an accurate diagnosis based on good, solid veterinary knowledge and experience, a specialist as needed. Ask for a referral to the specialist if necessary. A good generalist vet should be happy to refer.

    Pitlove also makes a good point. Fleas aren’t a big challenge where I live, but I do know that flea bite allergies (even from a single flea when you don’t see fleas, flea dirt) are a major cause of allergies/itching for many dogs.

    This is the protocol for my dog, some or all of which may be helpful to your dog if you haven’t tried something (or the combined approach):

    1)DIET
    Novel Protein (10-12 weeks to see results) Limited Ingredient Diet — homemade or from a company with very strict allergen/cross-contamination AND NOT ONE DEMONSTRATED IN VET JOURNALS TO BE CROSS-CONTAMINATED ALREADY (Royal Canin, Natural Balance, Nature’s Variety/Instinct, et. al.)

    — and ABSOLUTELY NO treats, supplements, “real”/”people” food, medicines (i.e. heartworm preventatives), or even chew/dental toys (i.e. Nylabone) that contain the established top food ingredient allergens for dogs (beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, corn). I treat w/her actual food or low allergen potential real food (i.e. blueberries, green beans, watermelon)

    ***Because I feed kangaroo — having needed a more unusual, rare protein source — I feed Zignature Kangaroo LID (GF) dry & canned food.

    I also supplement, per vet prescription, Omega 3 EPA & DHA at a high, therapeutic/condition treating dose daily for anti-inflammatory effects, plus skin, coat, brain benefits — and I use Grizzly’s Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil in pump bottle.

    2)ENVIRONMENT:

    a)Frequent thorough bathing w/very hypoallergenic and gentle shampoo & skin soothing, skin repairing/barrier protective, etc. ingredients

    b)frequent washing of dog’s bedding, etc. in hypoallergenic laundry detergent

    c)frequent vaccuuming (pollen, dust/particulates, etc.)

    d)hypoallergenic wet wipes wipe down of whole dog, especially paws (or dunking/rinsing paws off), after all walks & trips outside (pollen, dust/particulates, etc.)

    Finally — consider & don’t overlook your own personal care/cleaning products that may cause allergic responses in your dog.

    3)Cytopoint (aka CADI) injections, every 4-8 weeks as needed, seasonally or otherwise

    I researched, considered, and rejected two other rx allergy/itch meds, Apoquel and Atopica.

    I also researched and considered trials of 4 (recommended #) OTC antihistamines (e.g. benadryl, zyrtec/cetirizine).

    I tried the above all in that order, before adding the next step.

    We also tried once, but didn’t receive good relief and diagnostic results from a steroid injection — to see if she had seasonal environmental only allergies vs. food/combination.

    #104963
    karen h
    Member

    Hi, i have a two month old puppy. Last month Vet put him on nexgard 3 days later he had blood in urine. This month he was given another dose. 3 days later blood again in urine. Will not be giving to him again. The first time we did not know what caused it. He had gotten oral heartworm meds and i was switching his dog food.

    #104939

    In reply to: Interceptor

    Krissy K
    Member

    Hello!

    Just came across this blog while researching heartworm meds. I’m originally from Canada where heartworm was seasonal and rare in our area. We now live in Florida and recently got a 1.5 lb Yorkie puppy. I’m trying to decide which heartworm medication to give her. Her natural vet and all the vets down this way advised heartworm meds are needed year round. After researching I agree, since she’s so little a lot of the brands are a higher dose. I have it narrowed down to heartgard or interceptor. Just the regular, I don’t want a combo flea medication. We have a good all natural regime for her that’s been working well. My concern is the heartgard is 0-25 lb’s she’s so little to be getting such a large dose. The interceptor is 2-10 which seems like a better dose however I’m not sure which medication would work well and have the least side effects on her. The vet said either would be fine but I like to really do my research before giving any meds. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

    #103716
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Therese,
    sounds like she has stomach or panreatitis problems & the cesars food probably doesn’t upset her stomach any cause any pain or whatever she is having, I would NOT start any treatment for her heartworm yet, it will kill her, vet needs to work out what’s wrong with her stomach first & why she is hesitant to eat, something is wrong, Golden Labradors LOVE their food….
    I got a rescue 5yrs ago & he was the same in very bad condition, but he was the opposite & ate everything in site, even cat poo, after vomiting weekly, doing bloody diarrhea, sloppy poo’s, acid reflux, up thru the night with rumbling, grumbling bowel noises, in the end I asked the vet can we do Endoscope + Biopsies, vet put camera down his throat into the stomach & did 2 Biopsies, you need the biopsies cause when the vet looked into Patches stomach everything looked excellent, there was no stomach ulcers like we thought, but what I thought he had, he had, waiting & waiting for biopsy results Patch had the Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD, he was put on triple therapy meds for 21 days, Metronidazole, Amoxiccilin to kill the bad bacteria that lives in the stomach walls & Prilosec for the acid reflux the Helicobacter causes, Patch did real well while taken the triple therapy meds then once the 21 day course finished it all came back again within 1 week of stopping the meds, it was a nightmare in the end now Patch takes 20mg Prilosec every morning & only takes the Metronidazole 200mg for 10-14 days when needed, if he’s doing sloppy poos or diarrhea, starts feeling sick everyday & whinging for me to rub his stomach/pancreas area & is eating & eating grass…

    Can you ask the rescue group do they have some money in their budget for her to see a Gastro specialist or a vet that knows about stomach/bowel problems, in Australia the rescue groups post picture of the very sick dog & asks for help on their face book page & raise some money so dog can be treated by vet & do the Endoscope + Biopsies need to shop around cause there’s cheaper vets around that do Endoscope & Biopsies, people will help with donations…..
    I wanted to do the same give Patch back to rescue group so he got another foster carer, he broke my heart, I couldn’t give him back cause I thought will the new foster carer care for him like I do or will he just be thrown out the back yard again & suffer & the rescue group puts dog up for adoption & someone else gets stuck with the problem hoping they will pay all the vet bills, Patch was weeing blood the day I got him from teh pound, the rescue group had to paid $1,500 for 2x ultrascan, desexing, vacination, vet diet wet & dry food the dissolve his crystals, medications, at that stage he just had Urinary crystal, the rescue vet said he must of gotten infection from being used to breed, I thought everything was done all fixed, he’s all healthy now & I adopted him but it was just the beginning of my sleepless nights the vet office I ended up staying with felt sorry for Patch & me for adopting a sick 4yr old Staffy + all the vet nurses were Staffy lovers & my bet did alot of discount rates & now my vet writes out repeats for his prescriptions so I can get his meds from a chemist it was costing $120 for 1 month of Prilosec, now all I pay is $8 & the Metronidazole only cost $7 when I need it I keep spare in cupboard….

    I would be only feeding low fat wet food, nothing over 3% in fat, the fat & protein & isnt like it is in a dry kibble, wet raw & cooked hasnt been converted to dry matter (Kibble) yet, Do NOT feed any more dry kibble, it must make whatever she has, worse, like my boy the kibble made him worse with his IBD (Stomach) in the beginning till we worked out what was wrong & I found a kibble that works for him.
    Read what is the fat % in the Cesars wet food??? also start boiling potato or boil sweet potato whatever firms her poos up best & start adding say 2-3 cesars foil tin & the same amount boiled mash potato do not add any butter or mil to the mashed potato & mix potato all thru with the Cesars food, maybe start off with only 1/2 mashed potato with her food cause she may not trust the potato yet, whatever she has got, has cause her alot of pain & she doesn’t trust food no more… I have to go the Pet Shop it’s closing, I have to pick up something, look what are the ingredients & fat % in these Cesars foods she etas & post, stop trying all type of foods for now, I’ll try & find a similair food to the Cesars same ingredients once you post, that is in a bigger tin size & low in fat, maybe someone else knows of a lower fat wet tin food similair to Cesars food….
    Do you shop at “Costco” ?? Costco has their “Kirklands Signature” Nature Domain wet tin & its cheap & looks pretty good, click on “Reviews” look for Kirkland, Signature Nature Domain canned foods & click on link & scroll down a bit & there’s a photo of Turkey & Pea stew looks good & you can mash with boiled Potato this will work out cheaper till vet works out whats wrong, also ask the vet can you try a 21 day course of Metronidazole?? take back the vet diet food she won’t eat for refund & ask can you try 2 tins of the Hills I/d Canine Chicken & Vegetables Stew, Digestive Care wet tin food, do not get the Hills I/d Low Fat, Rice, Vegetables Chicken stew Restore, they look similair, the I/d Low fat Restore wet tin is full of rice & fish oil, the I/d canine Chicken & vegetable Stew Digestive Care has less ingredients & has more chucks of meat no fish oil, fish oil can make them feel sick, see if after being taking the 21 day course of Metronidazole if she starts to get better after 4-5th day, it has to be taken with a meal every 12 hours…
    What is her name??

    #101092

    In reply to: Heartworm Prevention

    Susan
    Participant

    Hi, I do not use any Heartworm meds or flea meds, I do live Australia & have hot Summers we do get mozzie’s after the rains in Summer but Patch is an indoor dog & doesn’t sleep outdoors, chances of an infected mosquito biting him is very slim, Patches vet hasn’t seen any heartworm cases in my area in 26yrs…she doesn’t seem concerned that Patch isn’t heartworm……Contact your local vets & ask has there been any resent cases of heartworm in your area??…..

    #101012

    In reply to: Heartworm Prevention

    pitlove
    Participant

    For me personally, I prefer to use a heartworm prevention that only contains the ingredient that kills off the heartworm (Ivermectin, Moxidectin etc). I also give flea and heartworm meds separately.

    But considering I live in the South and we haven’t had a real winter in a few years down here, I do heartworm prevention all year round. I know some don’t, who live in states where there is a real winter. That is something I would talk with your vet about.

    #99729
    Marcia
    Member

    I couldn’t even get to the end of this thread before I commdnted. I have 4 dogs, all born in 2011. For flea and tick control, I at first used Frontline, but one of my pups started having horrible reactions for up to 12 hours after – I think she was itching or burning, or both. I tried Advantix. Omg so much worse. My other 3 even reacted. My vet recommended Bravecto, so I put them all on it and have noticed no issues. My babies are my heart and I am very attentive to their moods, eating habits, etc. I do not give Bravecto all year round – 2 to 3 doses a year. I live in WI so even though the vet says I should give it year round, I won’t because I want them to have a break from it and the winter months are less risky for fleas/ticks. Same with heartworm meds, I stop in late fall. I have a woodsy backyard which they spend a lot of time in in good weather, and, I run them every other day for a mile and a half at nature reservoir with 3 large ponds – lots of grasses, weeds, reeds, waterfowl, and other wildlife, as well as scat from other dogs that run there. So I want them to be protected. I have never found a flea or a tick on any of them, nor has their groomer. My sister runs her dogs with me, and she has found dead ticks about 3x in 6 years. She uses topical flea and tick control, I believe.

    As many of you have said, we all have to choose what we feel is right for our situation and our babies. Factors like geography, general health of our pups, their age, their breed, etc., our own financial and living situations that also factor into these decisions. No 2 people will have the same circumstances.

    Being snarky and using thinly veiled insults only produces more of the same, and draws negative energy to yourself. Be kind to each other. We’re all here to help each other and learn from each other because we have infinite love for the creatures who depend upon us. Show some of that compassion and respect to each other.

    #99696
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi,
    Do you remember Dori she had 3 little white dogs all girls, I think Maltese Terriers,
    the eldest girl had a lot of sensitivities & couldn’t take most flea, heartworm meds, Dori also lived in an area where mozzie where bad all year round…Dori found Sentinel Spectrum didn’t cause any side effects, with her 16 yr old sensitive girl..
    Google & see does Sentinel Spectrum have the same ingredients as the Heartgard has??
    Sentinel is safe to use with puppies from 6 weeks old as well as pregnant & lactating females, Sentinel might use different ingredients to the Heartgard…
    Good Luck

    #99653
    anonymous
    Member

    I used natural stuff. Within 5 months I had 3 dogs that had previously tested negative for Lyme, test positive. All 3 received the antibiotic protocol as per the treating vet. Two had no symptoms and passed due to unrelated issues years later.
    The third one wasn’t so lucky, the Lyme caused kidney damage. So, I spent 2 years doing everything I could to keep her comfortable $$, daily subq fluids, meds, trying to keep uremia at bay.
    It was ugly.
    So, good luck to the homeopathic believers. I choose science based veterinary medicine.
    I would rather risk side effects to heartworm/flea/tick preventatives than to see what Lyme disease can do.
    And yes, fleas can cause serious illness and disease.
    I have found this site very helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

    #99568
    Cameron M
    Member

    My statements are that I am trying it…never said I loved it and frankly I don’t know if I will use it again. So far so good though.

    People come here to try to get facts and make a decision. I need good flea control period. I also love organic but that doesn’t work where I live.

    My vet ( who I trust a great deal) suggested Bravecto. Like everyone else here I started to research because no…I don’t like “new” drugs…esp. long acting drugs. As I started to research this my hair almost fell out because of all the hype…seriously…I was taken back.

    Then slowly I started sorting through all the junk and came to a conclusion. I gave my gal Bravecto and I will say this to people:

    Keep an eye on your dog, give breaks from flea and heart worm meds when you can and most importantly get blood work done esp liver enzymes…if you notice chances immediately suspect that your flea or heartworm meds may be the cause and investigate.

    I promise to report back…I am having my gal’s liver enzymes tested mid-way through the 90 period.

    Susan and Judy…thank you for your input as well.

    #98244
    Lora J
    Member

    Hello all, I have 2 Aussies, one is MDR1 mutant/normal, and one is untested. One was a rescue dog and was on Sentinel aready, and doing fine with it, so I plan on keeping her on it. My other has been on Heart Gard plus and parastar, and doing fine with that. But I want to get away from the parastar topical because I feel like our family is getting the chemical residue on us, even days after application his shoulder fur is stiff from it. What do you all do for your MDR1 dogs, and what experiences have you had with meds? I would like to put him on Sentinel but I am worried about side effects. From what I have read on the Washington State Univ site, Sentienel should be safe for him (note that they recommend against Trifexis). I am just a nervous nelly and I want to get a lot of input before I change his meds from a pill+ topical to a combo product. Thank you!

    #98221

    In reply to: Heartworm medicine

    susan k
    Member

    You can get Ivermectin compounded for your dogs by weight at any good compounding pharmacy that does pet meds. And it’s 100% effective if you only give it every six weeks (not four). That way your dogs aren’t getting de-wormed for every conceivable kind of parasite — just heartworm. As long as they aren’t boarded, don’t drink puddle water, or eat dog poop or road kill on the street, all you really need is heartworm protection. I’ve been having Ivermectin capsules made for my dogs for several years now. For two or three days prior to Ivermectin and two or three days after, I also give them liver support drops — in my case Senior Support by Animals Essentials, which I get from my local holistic vet (but it’s available from Amazon). Ten drops added to food twice a day. This helps the Ivermectin pass through the liver. My dogs still get a tiny bit lethargic, I think, but this whole system is gentler than using Heartguard Plus or any of those other powerful deworming meds.

    #98015

    In reply to: Heartworm medicine

    Leslie W
    Member

    I have three Yorkies and likewise one of them has an issue when I give the Heartworm med. I have ordered meds for my dogs for numerous years anad never had a problem with 1-800-PetMeds online. My dogs have been on Interceptor before but I think there was an issue with getting it at one time and I swithched to Sentinel. He still seems to have a problem with this one so my Vet told me to cut in half and give half then give the other half 72 hours later. So far that seems to work for him.

    #90431
    anonymous
    Member

    “I respect everyone’s opinions and wish I had not have jumped in before. I realize the skeptvet is very passionate about helping pets”.

    No! The more opinions the better. After losing a dog to hemangiosarcoma I started listening to the homeopathic vets (on-line), but after one of them advised no antibiotics (ever),no pain meds, no aggressive heartworm treatment for a positive dog, no vaccines, even rabies as required by law. I decided against it. As I believe some of their methods are putting pets and people at risk.
    Many of the of the horrid conditions such as cancer have a strong genetic component. Diet and good care help, but can only do so much.

    #89173

    In reply to: Interceptor

    GSDsForever
    Participant

    Yes — to the person who asked about food allergies; chicken or beef (or whatever) flavoring is an issue for a dog with the corresponding food allergy.

    To all, in case this helps:

    I used to use Interceptor, due to greater comfort with it regarding MDR1 with *some* herding breeds (and a couple others) and individuals. I think it’s really important to test in breeds/mixes with a significant portion affected.

    While I currently have a non-MDR1 affected dog and use Ivermectin (only), I have it compounded to exact weight/needs from a reputable compounding pharmacy I trust . . . which lowers the toxicity. “Monthly” pills can also be given every 6 weeks, also to lower toxicity (minimize how many are given); this can be a good idea in hot climates where it needs to be given essentially year round. They will compound meds, including “monthly” heartworm disease preventatives, to specification into any form, with or without flavoring/additives.

    Due to food allergies, I have mine placed unflavored in vegicaps (as gelatin contains unspecified animal derived protein, potentially food allergen). It is TINY, and I just toss it in the evening food (stew).

    Has Interceptor (not the Plus) come back out onto the market yet??

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by GSDsForever.
    • This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by GSDsForever.
    #87747
    Laura L
    Member

    My girl Liberty just turned one in June and has a typical lab appetite 95% of the time. Since January she has aan episode of vomiting and diarrhea for 1-2 days at the beginning of the month. The diarrhea last several days as well. We do the bland diet then back to her regular food and she is fine until the beginning of the next month. We have been using cerenia and Dylan to get through these episodes. We have seen several vets and x rays have been done 2 x to rule out obstructions. I was convinced it was related to heartworm meds so I did not give .them on Friday when they were due and yesterday she vimitted huge quantities. Vet is thinking food sensitivity and wanted me to do a food trial with science. diet ZD. I absolutely cringed when I read the ingredient list. I am baffled by these episodes,, she is fine the rest of the month, no skin issues and .only 1 ear infection and that was after swimming. I need help figuring this out and also finding am allternative to the ZD

    #87475

    In reply to: Generic Heartworm meds

    jakes mom
    Member

    I get HW meds through Drs. Foster & Smith pharmacy. I just get the RX from my vet and send it in. I wouldn’t trust just any online pharmacy but feel comfortable with them. Have used them for several pet meds over the years including heart disease meds, and thyroid meds. Better prices than the vet, plus he doesn’t carry the meds I use for heartworm now.

    #87149

    In reply to: Generic Heartworm meds

    InkedMarie
    Member

    I personally would not buy heartworm preventives at Walmart or the like. I’m very careful with my dogs (no over vaccinating, mostly raw fed etc), I buy most of my stuff online (would love to buy local but just too costly) but heartworm meds are something I will always buy at the vets.

    #87076

    In reply to: Generic Heartworm meds

    Mike E
    Member

    correct. The heartgard warranty is actually a PITA to to deal with (had to see people TRY and get merick to cover them for years when I was a tech, maybe 10% of them actually succeeded) so I have no problem with that. Heartworm is a VERY rare thing in my part of the country, I only do that because of the pyrantel included for de-worming tactics. Honestly, My dogs have gone to ACTUAL vets maybe 2-3 times over the last 10 years TOTAL. Otherwise they go to the low cost vaccine clinics for spaying/neutering and their every 3 year vaccinations (well, besides the puppy vacs) or else do it myself from the feed store (when I was close to one). I was raised country and even though I make sure my dogs get their meds and get their yearly fecal and blood tests done it’s almost NEVER by a vet who wants to charge $70 for an exam plus 50% more for the tests than what I can get at the low cost clinic down the road who has been great to us. Hell, even my vet doesn’t care. we took him in for his initial “brand new puppy” exam and our vet recommended that we use them instead of him for shots and heartworm stuff. His exact words were that since they don’t really make more than a few bucks off of the injections and almost ZERO money of of heartworm meds it was cheaper to go that route and just bring them in when they get sick and need a real vet’s care.

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Mike E.
    #87072

    In reply to: Generic Heartworm meds

    Mike E
    Member

    yeahhhhh, sorry but most vets know JACK about the meds they sell or the foods they prescribe. worked as a tech for years and can tell you this with 100% certainty (hell, we talk about it all the time with the crap they try and upsell with food like Science Diet *shudder). Heartgard is a name brand for a dog chew with a certain mcg dose of ivermectin and a certain dose of pyrantel injected inside. That’s like saying ONLY buy advil if your dr. says he likes that one vs. Costco Ibuprofen. if a medication has the EXACT amounts of ivermectin and pyrantel then it will work fine. You can literally measure the mcg’s and mg’s of Iver and Pyrantel and do as good as heartworm with 100% certainty. Iverheart has been scientifically proven to be the equivalent as Heartgard, and the same with Tri-heart…. I hadn’t heard of Pet trust plus so I asked about it. I bought my Tri-heart from Costco for years because when asked, my vet said verbatim “it’s the same thing as heartgard, just a generic, most ivermectin based pills virtually identical”, and told me to buy wherever I found them the cheapest.

    again, this dialog is about the Pet Trust plus brand and it’s efficacy, not anything else. hell, if I had quick access to a local feed store that I didn’t have to drive 40 minutes away from, I’d just pick up the ivermectin myself along with some Pyrantel and do the dosing as I did growing up with our other dogs (country boy through and through)

    (even though it’s kind of moot, I’m heading to the vet at our local low cost vaccine/spay/neuter clinic where he will get his normally yearly test and exam + the Tri-heart, which again is highly regarded as one of the best Iver/Pyr generics out there. My costco recently stopped selling Tri-heart a year back so I had to get Heartgard for a bloated name brand price for last year and wasn’t able to find another place that sold the Tri-heart locally. I didn’t want to buy online but instead from a licensed pharmacy or vet clinic and I was having a heart time locating one that sold Tri-heart or iverheart plus so I was asking about Pet Trust Plus which can be bought from Walmart/Sam’s club pharmacies)

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Mike E.
    • This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Mike E.
    #87069

    In reply to: Generic Heartworm meds

    anonymously
    Member

    There are some on-line pharmacies out of the country that may let you purchase heartworm meds without a prescription (laws differ). They not only charge a lot, but it is not recommended to by on-line meds as there is a lot of counterfeit stuff out there, you can’t be sure how it has been stored, expiration dates etc,
    If anything goes wrong because of the med, the company will have no liability because you did not purchase it from a veterinarian.
    The annual Heartworm Disease/Lyme Disease/Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis test is important, I would not recommend skipping it.

    per the search engine here:
    /forums/search/heartworm+meds/

    PS: I would listen to what your veterinarian recommends.

    #87008
    Mike E
    Member

    I have a question. I’ve used heartgard for my pups for the last few years and have been reading up on Iverhart, Tri-heart plus etc and they all seem to get great reviews but I noticed that Walmart came out with PetTrust + 4 years back as their generic and wondered if anyone had any experience with it? I tried my best to find Iverheart or Tri-heart+ in town but no one carries ANYTHING but interceptor or Heartgard…well except for walmart’s PetTrust +…. has this one been broken down and seen whether it’s viable?? I’ve got two dogs instead of one dog and the heartgard seems like such an insane ripoff considering it’s nothing but ivermectin and pyrantel…. if the pettrust+ is crap or what not I can get the iverhart max or Tri-heart+ from online, but I just wanted to get local if I could.

    any advice?

    #85100
    anonymously
    Member

    “Like I said, I just want the heartguard, which my vet won’t give me, but I can get it from the vet that treated Remy for heartworms, I would just rather have someone local to me, as the rescue and their vet is a couple hours from my house”

    Why don’t you contact this vet that is familiar with your dog and see what he recommends? It’s just a phone call, leave a message for him to call you back when he has a minute. He may be willing to authorize a prescription to one of the on-line pet pharmacies…if he is comfortable doing so. Of course you have to sign the waiver, etc.
    PS: Hint: 1-800 PetMeds or California Pet Pharmacy

    #85092
    anonymously
    Member

    “This all became an issue, because I wanted a prescription for heartguard, to get remy started as soon as I could. The rescue says to start it may 5, a month after his injections. My vet on the other hand, won’t prescribe, because he believes Remy is “off treatment schedule” and said he can have a toxic reaction to the heartguard. – is this true???”

    Yes, from what I understand this is true. You do not give heartworm meds to a heartworm positive dog.
    That is why the annual heartworm test is required before veterinarians will prescribe heartworm preventives. If the dog is heartworm positive it will aggravate the condition if they take the pesticides.

    #84182

    In reply to: Interceptor

    anonymously
    Member

    Yes, it is. There are some on-line pharmacies out of the country that may let you purchase heartworm meds without a prescription (laws differ). They not only charge a lot, but it is not recommended to by on-line meds as there is a lot of counterfeit stuff out there, you can’t be sure how it has been stored, expiration dates etc,

    If anything goes wrong because of the med the company will have no liability because you did not purchase it from a veterinarian.

    The annual Heartworm Disease/Lyme Disease/Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis test is important, I would not recommend skipping it.

    #84023
    anonymously
    Member

    You are welcome. The old rule of thumb was, if the seizures are severe or occurring more than once a month, the veterinarian would recommend medication.
    I would work closely with your vet, after your dog gets his weight down and has been stable (no seizures) for a few months you may be able to try a trial period off meds, if your vet agrees. I tried this with my dog, but the seizures always returned. He still had a good life though.
    Best of luck

    PS: I’m sure your vet has thought of this. But by chance did your dog recently start any new medication, flea/tick preventive, heartworm preventive? Exposure to lawn pesticides/chemicals? Just looking for possible triggers….

    #82642
    Ann T
    Member

    I use Heartguard and Nexguard for my dog for heartworm and flea and tick prevention. My question is: Do either of these meds help prevent my dog from getting the other worms as well or do I need to give something additional?

    #82169
    InkedMarie
    Member

    What heartworm meds are you using? You will need a script from your vet to buy online. Dr’s Foster & Smith, KV Vet both carry them.

    Marla N
    Member

    I live in the north Georgia mountains. I think I’m definitely going to look into that cedarcide. I’m trying to do what I can to get away from so many chemicals. However, I do have to say, in always having used chemical products, what has worked best on my dogs for flea/tick prevention, was the generic stuff that you can get just about anywhere that also sells frontline and advantix. I think I got mine at Walmart, sadly. It’s just the generic of the advantix. As far as for heartworm, I’ve always used triheart plus. My vet carried it, before I moved up here. It’s basically the generic of heartguard. The plus also prevents hook and round worms. You can buy it online. I think that I saw it on amazon and 1800petmeds.com. I’ve been using that since I got my dog two years ago. I now use it with four dogs. My mom, since we had our very first dog some 30 years ago, always used the heartguard until our vet started carrying the triheart plus. Hope this helps.

    #79878
    anonymously
    Member

    I would talk to your vet about postponing any further vaccinations at this time.
    http://www.thedogplace.org/VACCINES/Rabies-exemption-form-states-2012.asp
    Note: The labels on rabies vaccines state that they are for “the vaccination of healthy cats, dogs…” There are medical conditions for which vaccination can jeopardize the life or well-being of an animal.

    I would also reevaluate what you are using for flea/tick and heartworm prevention, for obvious reasons. When did the pruritus start?

    I would keep her diet simple. No supplements or over the counter meds that have not been recommended by a veterinarian that has examined her.

    If it was my dog, I would make an appointment with a dermatologist.
    The best choice would be to see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, if one is available near you (here is a list: http://www.acvd.org/).

    Per the search engine here /forums/search/allergies/

    #78669
    Kim S
    Member

    Hello Norene, I have a 9 yo yellow lab that has skin issues and found out wheat was her problem early on. A little over a year ago she began to scratch and bite herself to the point of being bloody and raw. I started researching and this is where I found DogFoodAdvisor. I have found many other sites that have helped too. I looked an environmental issues, allergies, flea/heart worm meds and food. My vet was not able to help much and I took to the internet. I found that grains can greatly effect a dog and we knew that wheat was a problem for her, I went grain free only to find that potatoes are a big fill in for them and she ended up with a widespread yeast infection. I did try raw but she ended up being sensitive to chicken and lamb so that didn’t work. Here’s what helped and I highly recommend to anyone with skin issues. We did a Alternative Sensitivity Test by Glacier Peak Holistics, all done by mail. That gave me a wealth of information and confirmed all my suspects. She is now on Orijen 6 Fish and doing wonderful. I’ve also added a daily probiotic, digestive enzymes, coconut oil to her meals. I have nothing to do with Glacier Peak but there are other companies that perform these tests and sell the same products. I also have found very informative websites such as Dr Karen Becker, Only Natural Pet and obviously you’ve found Dogfood Advisor. Beware of the flea and heartworm products, they can cause a number of issues and there are natural remedies. House hold cleaning products, laundry soaps, fabric softners, fragrance sprays and such can effect your dog. I now have a green home as much as possible. Good luck and hope you find the cure. I can tell you that it will be up to you and not your vet and I do like my vet very much.

    #78656
    Shawna
    Member

    Hi Paul R,

    They now know that dogs with kidney disease actually need good amounts of protein in the diet as it helps with the blood flow (aka GFR) and therefore keeping the blood clean. The exception to that rule is when the dog has high amounts of protein in the urine as that is a sign of inflammation of the kidneys. The protein should be lowered until the reason for the inflammation has been found and addressed — possibly a bacterial infection, stones, food sensitivity (they know in humans that gluten can cause increased proteinuria – I would assume reactions to foods can be the same in dogs). Here’s some data on that “A gluten-free diet induced in 75% of the cases a parallel improvement in these abnormal immunological data. Mean proteinuria values were found to be significantly decreased after 6 months of the diet and a reduction was also observed in microscopic hematuria.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2311308

    May not be the case with your pup but I think it is often overlooked as a possibility.

    My dog had kidney disease from birth and lived nine years. I fed her a raw diet but once in a while I was running in and out or really sick for a few days and would give her some kibble. Each time I gave her kibble I had to deal with the consequences of doing so for several days after. I would highly advise against ANY kibble, even prescription. The new prescription Science Diets are chicken and beef based and look appealing. If you can’t home cook and don’t want to feed raw it would be something to try while you are trying to deal with the proteinuria. I would also give a high quality omega 3 fish oil as it is anti-inflammatory etc. Another to try is organic (must be organic) turmeric (the spice). Turmeric is anti-inflammatory as well as anti-fibrotic, which are both helpful for the failing kidneys. Start with a small amount and build. Most dogs do well with it but my Audrey didn’t seem to tolerate it well. 🙁

    Don’t give any more flea or tick meds or heartworm preventatives. Also no more vaccines. Some states will give rabies exemptions for pets with life threatening diseases. Take advantage of that if your state does.

    It also helps to give reverse osmosis filtered water. There are so many impurities in most tap water. Always have water available. I would also look at a good probiotic and prebiotic. The right ones can help clear BUN etc from the blood which will help your pup feel better. This is called “nitrogen trapping” which was apparently discovered and coined by Iams researchers. I used a probiotic called Garden of Life Primal Defense (a human product) and a prebiotic called Fiber 35 Sprinkle Fiber (also human). I’ve heard that Sprinkle Fiber is no longer made but it was simply 100% pure acacia fiber. Any source of acacia fiber will work. Not all fibers work, some make things worse. I found this out the hard way. The one product I would not do without is made by Standard Process and is called Canine Renal Support. It helps in many many ways.

    I hope something I’ve wrote is helpful for you and your sweet puppy!! Let me know if I can clarify anything or answer any questions etc.

    Prayers to you both!!

    Madelon H
    Member

    Susan – thanks. I belong to the EPI4DOGS.COM group – they are awesome! Did/does your dog have EPI? I know they say you don’t have to have a low fat diet for EPI anymore – BUT here’s my thinking based on my personal experience. Doc, my GSD, was diagnosed at 3 months old with SIBO but not EPI (pancreas just had not completely atrophied at that time) – they did the cTLI test then and TLI was 16 B12 was 800+ Folate >24 – he had the chronic diarrhea with pale foul smelling cow patties – so he was on metronidazole and put on the Royal Canin Gastro Low Fat Dry Kibble – after 2 1/2 months all was well and I transitioned him to Royal Canin GSD Puppy – he was great – got to 95lbs until March 2015 when he started losing weight – no diarrhea – finally he had lost about 10lbs and despite my telling my vet something was wrong he said he was fine – then he started diarrhea and eating poop – I demanded another cTLI test – positive for EPI and SIBO – TLI < .4; B12 400; Folate >24. He was put on the can RC Gastro – WAY to expensive – once we started enzymes and B12 with Intrinsic Factor I switched him to TOTW Pacific Stream – poops got better but not consistent – then DESPITE being on flea/tick and heartworm meds his entire life he got tapeworms and coccidia (he had coccidia really bad as a pup) – he’s also been very itchy lately. SO my thinking after doing much research is that although they say you don’t need to restrict fat for an EPI dog I’m thinking you may need to restrict fat for SIBO – thoughts? The RC Gastro dry kibble is 5% fat and 3.6% fiber. I’m not opposed to prescription diet food if nothing else will work but I’m $4000 into this disease already and was hoping to find a comparable OTC food that won’t break my bank. I was looking at Natural Balance Limited Ingredient food that has 10% fat – do you think that it’s worth trying? I was also wondering about mixing canned food and kibble food since it appears most can food has less fat than the kibble?
    Thanks so much!

    #75740
    Anonymous
    Member

    From the Boston Herald 7/11/2015 http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/lifestyle/2015/07/steer_clear_of_meds_sold_online

    Dear Dr. John,

    I seek your opinion on a matter that I find puzzling. Our family owns two dogs and a cat, and we take good care of them. We see our veterinarian on a regular basis and follow her advice on matters of preventative medicine and just about everything else. I would like you to share your thoughts on Internet pharmacies and the purchase of medications there instead of from our vet. Our vet offers reasonable prices, but medications are a bit cheaper at the online pharmacies. I have been told some of the products, such as heartworm preventatives and flea and tick preventatives, are supposed to only be sold by a vet. Our vet has given us written prescriptions that can be filled through the Internet, but she tells us these drugs are obtained illegally by these pharmacies. Is that true? What should we do? We want our pets to get medications that we can rely on, and we don’t want to support illegal activity.— P.M.

    Dear P.M.,

    What you ask is something that practicing veterinarians deal with every day. Many animal hospitals and veterinarians dispense medications to patients. As small businesses, they cannot match the pricing of corporations that buy supplies in much larger quantities and at a cheaper cost, in turn passing on those savings to customers. The drug companies say they will only sell these products directly to veterinarians, and it is my understanding that they do. Some veterinarians, who I feel are somewhat unethical and looking to make a buck, purchase large amounts of these products and then for a fee sell them to intermediary brokers, who then sell them to Internet pharmacies. This is called drug diversion or the gray market, and while technically not illegal, it is considered wrong and opens up questions of quality control and ethics.

    Furthermore, the drug companies make it clear that if the animal develops a problem or side effect from the medications, they will support the care of the patient and stand by their product only if it was dispensed by a veterinarian and not if obtained through drug diversion. While I am also a consumer, I would rather follow proper, ethical and legal channels and purchase from the veterinarian directly. Only your veterinarian knows your pet and knows it best, not the online pharmacy. This is what I advise my clients.

    #75364
    Pitlove
    Member

    Yes, fleas, the risk of heartworm and ticks are very real and scary here. Huge difference from where I was born and raised in Connecticut.

    Currently we are using a product from Canada that my boyfriends parents order for all the dogs online called Nu-Hart. My pit just recently got his HW test and it was negative thank god! His parents outdoor dog (Rottweiler) was just diagnosed with HW and is currently being treated and being allowed to say inside.

    It’s been raining a lot here lately so our pup hasnt been outside much, but we give the HW every 45 days instead of every 30 and so far it’s been working. I’ll look into the Sentinel. I don’t think my current vet has it. They have Hartguard Plus which does HW, fleas and ticks. I’m nervous to use that though as I don’t like to give flea/tick meds in the same week as HW. Any thoughts on Hartguard Plus?

    #71959
    jakes mom
    Member

    Could someone just speak generally about supplements, what they give their dog (or cats, I have both) and why? There’s so much info out there! If you’re not giving a medicine, supplement, etc for a specific problem ( and see an improvement) how do you know it’s helping and worth giving? Just believe the literature and hope it’s helping? Heartworm season is upon us, and I’ve been hearing about milk thistle after hw meds. I hear about supergreen capsules, coconut oil, fish oil, on and on. With no FDA oversight, how do I even know if it’s got what the company says it has and I’m not wasting money? I’d like to hear from people who regularly give their pets supplements, what kind and how much (per # of animal), and what companies you trust. Right now dog gets joint supplement and also RMBs and dog and cats all enjoy some coconut oil. They’re all seniors. What would you be giving them if you were me? Thanks in advance!

    #71762

    In reply to: Seizures in my dog

    Lori M
    Member

    I wondered about the VSF Nuroplex Herbal supplement and drops, glad to see someone has experience with it…for sure no vet is going to endorse something like that. I’m getting a wee bit ticked with the vet…all they want me to do is wait and watch….the only thing they offerred was making sure she wasn’t on one of the three heartworm meds that weren’t recomended. When i called and asked about an alternative flea med to Frontline all they recomended was Advantics and a list of other drops that worked the same way, no powders or any non-invasive types. I understand they have to be careful what they recomend, but it’s a ridiculous amount of money we pay them for what i feel like so far with these seizures has been little to no helpful information. I saw the one recomendation for the flea powder…can i get some more feedback on that….I don’t live in a city big enough to find it here i’m sure. Chances are i’ll have to buy it on line anyway. Any and all suggestions for alternative flea and tick meds would be appreciated!! I live in the south so not using anything is NOT an option. We are deep in flea, tick, and heartworm territory.

    #67300
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi sounds like your girl has IBD, I read on a link now I cant find it, it said you shouldn’t give dogs enzymes especially if they have a healthy gut, there 2 types of enzymes the plant enzymes or Porcine enzymes….I’d stop the kibble, my boy has IBD & has so many problems with kibbles, just finished trying another kibble & he was sooooo ill, bad acid reflux, now has a real sore throat from the acid reflux, vet wants him on just Turkey breast mince mix in 1 raw egg, then I make about 4 loaves & put on a baking tray & bake 20mins…just for 4-6 weeks to give his stomach a rest, I freeze section & also boil sweet potato boil pumkin & freeze, I boil some Quinoa as its gluten free,….he has stop scatching & his red paws have gone & the red under his chin has gone… I’m finding Patch needs a gluten free diet & has real bad food allergies that has caused his IBD & Colitis when he eats something that he’s allergic too, he has his bloody poos cause the food is irritating his bowel..look up gluten free & low residue foods & stick with those foods also don’t rotate too many foods as you wont know what is causing the itchy skin….
    I have found foods that agrees with him & give for breakfast & dinner & something else that agrees with him for lunch & a late dinner, he has 4 small meals thru the day, we found this works best for Patch. also use Malaseb medicated shampoo I found to be the best…. Patch does not take any heartworm meds, he cant take any worm meds only Milbemax all wormer every 6months & I dread the day its due he eats grass the next day & feels sick all day but doesnt have diarrhea on the Milbemax, vet said its very mild, Patch can not use Advantage flea spot on… only Frontline plus, as Frontline only penetrates 2 layers of the skin, where other flea spot ons penetrate thru into their blood, Patch nilly died from Advantage…you name it Patch cannot take it, its all to do with his IBD…..
    So I have learnt LESS IS BEST….

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