[anonymously]

You could try a little homemade chicken broth, nothing added (not the store bought crap). He either got into something or picked up a virus. IMO (I am not a vet)
When he is on his feet you may want to consider whatever additional testing your vet recommends. I know, ($) but these things happen and once they stabilize you may get lucky and get a 5 year run with him needing nothing but an annual/routine care/heartworm check etc.

I recommend Nutrisca dry, soaked in water for a dog with a sensitive stomach, just tried Orijen, it’s quality stuff but I think it might be too rich for 2 out of 3 of my dogs. I will continue to use it however as a base, maybe I’ll mix it with the Nutrisca.

[anonymously]

Sounds like an Internal Medicine Specialist might be your best bet.
I understand your frustration, my dog with environmental allergies is stable now x 4 years. But, I went to 3-4 vets in a 1 year period before I found a specialist that did the allergy skin testing, diagnosed, and prescribed a treatment that works.

The first step is to get a diagnosis, then evaluate your treatment options (imo)

PS: The initial testing is the worst of it ($)
But, we now only see the specialist once a year.
Other than routine care (annual heartworm test) we have not had to go to the regular vet.
Also, I would hesitate to give this dog any vaccines if she is not medically stable.

[Jean B]

No, Interceptor is for Heartworm and all the other worms they can get
except tapeworms, unless it has been included now. I can’t remember.
It does nothing for fleas. I use Interceptor, then I use Frontline Plus for fleas
and ticks.

[Anne B]

@anonymously,

Thanks for the links….I think I’ll be ordering some of those TickEase tweezers….However, I couldn’t play the article in second link due to this ancient computer with totally blown out sound system..**SIGH**

Also thanks for your condolences about my dog.
In VA, we have to give rabies vaccination every three years, but I have heard in some states, dogs have to get it every year….That’s much too much, IMO.

I do have a nice vet now, but the clinic she works for is really pushing the Bravecto.
She knows I won’t buy any flea/tick pesticide products, so respectfully, she doesn’t try to push them on me.

I do buy the heartworm preventative, which is a pesticide, but feel I have no other choice , since I can’t really control flying insects like mosquitoes with a natural product, and my dogs getting heartworms would be a major setback……However, I only give it every 6 weeks, during the warm months, and they only get 6 doses a year.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

I would encourage everyone who has a flea problem to rip out all of the carpet from their home and replace it with laminate flooring or linoleum, if at all possible–fleas can’t reproduce in these types of flooring….However, they absolutely love carpet to lay their eggs in.

I ripped out all carpeting from my home 3 years ago, plus I applied food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in my yard, and still do……..Haven’t seen a flea in my home since, and I live in VA–known for hot, humid summers….The DE was very effective at killing all the fleas in my yard (plus it killed other nasty creepy-crawlies like ants and spiders that would occasionally get in my house).

If you decide to try DE, make sure you buy the FOOD GRADE DE, not the DE used for pool filters….The kind used for pool filters is chemically treated and toxic, but Food Grade DE is completely non-toxic…..I have heard of some people applying directly on their dogs, and it successfully killed the fleas with no ill effects…You can get it fairly cheap at Southern States or Tractor Supply Company.

If applying DE on your yard, use a protective mask and safety glasses so you won’t inhale it or get it in eyes.

Yes, I would rather rip out all my carpet than use Bravecto, Comfortis, Nexguard, Trifexis, etc, or any topical flea product………However I do have to give heartworm preventative, because the DE obviously wouldn’t be very effective against mosquitoes…..I only give the heartworm prevention every 6 weeks, and only during the warmer months when mosquitoes are most active, so my dogs only get 6 doses a year…..This approach has worked well for me–my dogs are always tested once a year for heartworm, and have always tested negative.

My concern is, even if you don’t see any immediate adverse reactions from an oral or topical flea pesticide, who knows what it’s doing to your dog’s internal organs, especially if taking long-term—That’s why I choose not to use them.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Anne B.

[Stephanie B]

That’s wonderful news! So glad you found a local vet that knows what she’s talking about with regard to heartworm treatment! All the best to you and Remy!

[anonymously]

“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

[anonymously]

You may find some helpful information at this site: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=heartworm

[Karen D]

From what I understand, the dog is retested for heartworms 4-6 after heartworm treatment. So I wait 4-6 months before giving the heartworm preventive? Can’t they just get reinfected during that time?

[anonymously]

“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.

[Karen D]

Yes, I’d like to continue the course of treatment that has been started, unless there is some overriding evidence that I should not. As of now, I don’t have that evidence. I have detailed info from the rescue, as well as the contact information and the documents from the administering vet, as well as having spoken to him briefly at the rescue regarding the prednisone dosage when I had a question about it.

I don’t feel that starting treatment all over again is a good option just because the current vet (with NO heartworm treatment experience) wants to do the 3 injection process instead of the 2 injection process.

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.

[Stephanie B]

Sounds like a good rescue organization! Is it possible for you to continue Remy’s treatment with the vet that your rescue used? That would be a good way to ensure continuity in care. I have never heard of a reaction to heartguard after heartworm treatment. In fact, my vet administered 2 doses of heartguard while my dog was having her immiticide injections and in their care overnight.

[Karen D]

I have the paperwork from the vet that treated Remy at the rescue & his contact information. I just got off the phone with the woman at the rescue who reviewed the entire treatment process with me and said Remy has been fully treated and only needs a microfloria test in 6 months. She said his level of infestation is mild. Since he’s been with me, he has no coughing, no panting, no heavy breathing to contradict that.

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???

They are a rescue that transport many dogs up from the south that have heartworms and those dogs are treated by the same vet that remy was treated by. My vet on the other hand, only stated he’s never treated heartworms and hasn’t gotten back to me in a week claiming to have not yet heard back from the american heartworm assoc.

I’ve been taken advantage of by a vet in the past, so yes I question everything, I don’t care how insulted they are. As far as I’m concerned, I must understand what and why whatever is being done, if I don’t agree with it, I will tell them. It is sad to say, but many are in it for he $$$.

[Stephanie B]

I agree, it would be beneficial to have the paperwork or at least contact info for the vet your rescue organization used to administer the injections. I think the confusion comes in because the “standard protocol” now calls for the 3 injections vs. 2. But both are effective depending on the worm infestation level. If the dog has already been subjected to 2 injections (as confirmed by the vet who administered)…it doesn’t make sense to start over from the beginning and give 3 more! Unfortunately, it takes 6 months before you can re-test to know whether the treatment has been effective. I would also agree with your decision to switch vets to one who knows about/treats heartworm disease.

[Stephanie B]

I also adopted a HW+ dog and she had the 2 injection treatment as well (2 months ago). It often depends what stage the HW infestation is at (there are 4 stages) as to which course of action the vet takes (2 shot vs. 3 shot) The Immiticide injections are hard on the dog so I definitely WOULD NOT start over at the beginning. The injections are done at the spinal cord which is painful and can cause soreness/weakness. There should be a shaved spot on your dog’s back where they administered the injections. After the injections the dog needs to be kept minimally active/at rest for 4-6 weeks as the worms “die”. High activity can cause a pulmonary embolism (clotting.) Also, you need to get the monthly preventative (eg. Heartguard) immediately and give it every month. The injections kill adult worms but you want to stop new infections with the preventative. And as a side note, the prednisone steroids will cause increased thirst and hunger so make sure you have lots of water for the dog to drink and take him out for more bathroom breaks. The dog should be retested (blood test) in 6 months to ensure he’s HW negative. https://www.heartwormsociety.org is a great resource for information as well.

Best of luck!

[anonymously]

I would start from the beginning. Do you have paperwork signed by a veterinarian confirming whatever treatment the dog received? Because if you don’t, you can’t expect the vet to rely on hearsay.
I wouldn’t wait very long either…..and please use caution regarding what the homeopathic vets have to say. Heartworm disease is deadly if not treated aggressively.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by anonymously.

[Karen D]

Hi there,
I’ve adopted a dog (Remy) from a rescue on 4/6 who was HW+. On 4/4 & 4/5, the rescue said Remy had shots for the heartworms (he did not have the 3 shot treatment, they did 2), they also gave me Doxy and Prednisone to give to him as well. Since he’s been in my care, I’ve kept him crated and no coughing or heavy panting.

On 4/6, I took him directly to the vet practice I go to, but to a vet that I’ve just recently seen there who mentioned, they don’t treat heartworms there. The vet checked him over and said he would get back to me about next steps. It is now, 4/13 and i haven’t heard from him. I did see the vet again on 4/11 for another dog and while there, asked about Remy. He said Remy is “off schedule” and that he is trying to contact the american heartworm assoc to determine best course of action. I know the recommended treatment is 3 shots, however the rescue did the two shot treatment which I have found as an alternative to the 3 shot treatment which is usually for light infestations.

I am not sure what I should do at this time. Did the rescue do the wrong thing in doing only the 2 shot treatment? Do I need to start from square one now (I feel this is what my vet will recommend)? Does my vet not want to continue treatment the way the rescue began? I did research the 2 shot treatment and know that while it’s not the recommended way, it is one of the ways to treat HW. I have made an appointment with another vet I used in the past, that has treated heartworms.
Thank you!

[anonymously]

@ Stephen S
You have to use caution with seniors (dogs over the age of 7), they are more sensitive to pesticides (that is what flea/tick preventives are).

What you describe sounds neurological…I would proceed with caution. I use nothing on my 15 year old dog, I just check him every night for ticks and bathe him once or twice a week.

Consider a Preventic collar, supposedly good for 3 months, 1 month is more like it.
Or a topical like Advantix II. I sometimes use both in conjunction with my younger dogs. I would not consider an oral. I also make an effort to keep them out of tall grass and woods, I keep the lawn mowed low.

Of course, I do heartworm preventives every 6 weeks (more pesticides) and have them tested once a year.

[anonymously]

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.

[anonymously]

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….

[anonymously]

Sounds good. But you know what a lawyer would say….if you don’t have it in writing, you have nothing. Is he neutered? Maybe he has never even seen a vet?

So, I would take him in for an annual checkup, after all, it is time for heartworm checks and such.
You can decline all vaccines except rabies, except where required by law.
Buy a folder for his medical records, vet visits and keep all info in there. If you ever have an emergency situation and have to go to a vet you don’t know, you can just grab the folder.

Annual visits are worth the expense, I found this out the hard way. If anything is wrong it is best to pick it up early.

PS: The sausage might not be a good idea, loaded with nitrates, salt, chemicals…
Regarding the chicken broth, I mean homemade without additives, msg and junk.
Just boil a chicken for 3-4 hours, cool, debone, put the broth in the fridge and skim the layer of fat off the next day. You should have at least a quart of broth that will be good for a few days in the fridg.
The deboned chicken you can put in individual serving plastic sandwich baggies and freeze.
Messy and time consuming but cost effective, better than canned as a topper.
Dogs love chicken! I use Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry as a base, check Chewy.com

[anonymously]

PS: You are talking about blood work ($200-$400) on a dog that is not showing any symptoms or illness?
I don’t get it. The routine heartworm/Lyme test every year or 6 months should rule out parasites.
If you feel that unsure about the safety of the food you are feeding your dog, I would re-evaluate the choices you have made regarding his diet.

[anonymously]

How about when Lyme gets into the kidneys? It’s an ugly disease. I find the vets routinely check for Lyme now when you do the heartworm test these days. Annual testing is the minimum, some people test their dogs every 6 months if they are at high risk….best to catch it early.

[tuckersmom]

Hi, I’m new to the forums, but have a question regarding Sentinel Spectrum. I have three dogs, Tucker @ 7.2 pounds, Ollie @ 8.2 pounds, and Jack @ 8.4 pounds.

It’s Ollie and Jack that I’m concerned about. I just can’t see putting them on the 8.1 to 25 pound Sentinel Spectrum, and yet that is what my vet and a CSR @ Sentinel (Virbac) told me to do. I know splitting that size dose between the two of them would void any company responsibility if one or both of them contracted heartworms, but in splitting the dose, they both will be getting enough for 12.2 pound dogs. My husband and I talked it over, and we agreed that a split dose would more than suffice to prevent heartworms in Ollie and Jack. And we don’t want to give them a dose high enough to protect a 25 pound dog.

All three pups are indoors except for potty breaks. Any thoughts?

[anonymously]

Thanks, c4c, They worry us with these things, don’t they. Took my 7 year old poodle mix in for routine heartworm check and went along with the senior labs (results pending).
Big old rotten molar tooth popped out the other day while I was brushing her teeth.
Vet couldn’t believe how good her teeth looked, she has never had a professional cleaning. I do brush every day.
Anyway, he thinks the tooth was way in the back and where it fell out is healing nicely.
She does not need a cleaning. Yay!

PS: This is what income tax return checks are for 🙂

[losul]

Yeah right James. To all those with the GENUINE words that I hadn’t yet gotten back to, C4C, Glenna, BobbyDog, InkedMarie, anyone else, thank you for all the kindness and support. Turbo’s awesome, and I’m doing fine!

I hadn’t really planned on ever even announcing it here, but O.K. A year ago yesterday Turbo tested HW negative. Which means he would have already been HW free for at least 5 to 6 months prior too that I believe, because it takes that long for antigens to disappear from the blood after the worms are gone. The heartworms are long gone. He never had HW disease, he had a HW infection and remained healthy and asymptomatic throughout except for some minor coughing for 2 days, I think that was late June 2014, only about 4 months after starting advantage multi for treatment. The vet attributed this to worm dieoff. When the worms die, they aren’t digested in the stomach, – they decay, break up, and have to be absorbed by the lungs.

At the end of this month, he’ll go for his yearly physical, bloodwork, etc. again. Again my deep gratitude all those that supported and helped us!!

[Ann T]

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?

[Shawna]

Hi Pittiemama,

Hopefully I can help you here. My puppy had kidney disease right from birth. It is believed her kidneys just weren’t able to develop (she was the sixth puppy, the runt, for a 12 pound Chihuahua / Boston Terrier mix). The breeder had to had feed her, due to a collapsing trachea, raw goats milk and egg whites to keep her alive. She had symptoms (excessive drinking and urine) at just six weeks of age. She was officially diagnosed at one year and given a year to live. She lived to eight years and seven months old and then passed for reasons not directly related to kd.

A little background on me, my father is a naturopath. I did consult with him when I got Audrey’s diagnosis but being raised by him, I was able to mostly formulate the plan of attack myself.

Audrey’s numbers, when she was diagnosed, were right around the same as your babies — and she lived almost seven more very very healthy and happy years. It could happen for your baby too.

The first thing I would suggest is to keep up on his dental health. You won’t want to use anesthesia for dental cleanings so RIGHT now start doing anything and everything you need to keep his teeth clean. It was actually bacteria likely from a dental infection that got into Audrey’s kidneys and ultimately took her life. Use fresh garlic in his meals. Use an enzyme supplement in his water, Dr. Melissa Shelton’s essential oil called Dog Breath is very effective and a drop can be added to his water dish or you can mix with water in a spray bottle and spray right on teeth. http://www.animaleo.info/dog-breath.html I would also recommend a product made by Green Pasture’s called Infused Coconut Oil. It’s high in vitamin K2 (which has been shown to have great benefit for teeth) and has other wonderful nutrients. All of my dogs get it but I found it when Audrey’s teeth were already needing some extra support. 🙁 http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/InfusedCoconutOil/index.cfm

I HIGHLY recommend Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It is a food based supplement that “feeds” the kidneys but also has a product called a protomorphogen (which is the RNA/DNA of the kidney cell) that helps prevent inflammation to the kidneys. It is the one supplement she never went without. I also used their SP Canine Hepatic Support when I thought she needed a little liver support — helps with allergies too. I also used their Cataplex B and C as water soluble vitamins may need to be added due to the large amounts being urinated out.

ONLY give filtered or other forms of “clean” water. I would avoid tap water at all cost. Lower sodium mineral waters with good amounts of calcium and magnesium have been shown to be beneficial for dogs with kd. I like Evian water because it is high in calcium bicarbonate. I didn’t give it all the time but made sure (at least in the beginning) to give it regularly — I got lax in the later years and I truly believe Audrey would still be with me if I had not. She was doing so well though and my life got busier..

I HIGHLY recommend getting some Garden of Life Primal Defense probiotic and Garden of Life Acacia Fiber supplements as well. These are used as “nitrogen traps” and as BUN begins to build up the bacteria consuming the fiber will cause some of the nitrogen to be routed through the bowels freeing up the kidneys from having to deal with them. I gave probiotic foods (like green tripe, fermented veggies etc) frequently but when I noticed she was feeling a little lethargic, depressed, not feeling well etc I assumed nitrogen was building up and I’d give her the probiotics and prebiotic for several days. Always worked like a charm. Will be quite important as the disease progresses and he starts getting symptoms. This also allows for a higher protein diet. The protein doesn’t damage the kidneys but it does, due to BUN, add to symptoms. Oh, I forgot to mention. Audrey ate a HIGH protein raw diet up until the last six to eight weeks of her life. Audrey never had a problem with phosphorus but as your puppies disease progresses you may have to watch the amount of phosphorus in the foods you are feeding. The golden rule is to limit phosphorus but it’s obviously not always necessary. That said, phosphorus can damage the kidneys if it gets too high in the blood so either monitor it or feed the right amounts of phos for the stage your pup is at. Right now while phosphorus isn’t as big an issue, I like the Honest Kitchen Brave. To that I would add a raw egg a few times per week and give Answer’s raw goat milk regularly as well. Both raw eggs (if not whipped etc) and raw milk can easily increase the “master antioxidant” in the body called glutathione. This will obviously help out everything. Later, when phos needs to be more restricted, you may not be able to give the whole egg (as the yolk is higher in phos).

Supplements —
1. Organic Turmeric is good as it is anti-inflammatory but it also is anti-fibrotic (prevents scar tissue). Audrey didn’t tolerate turmeric well so she didn’t get it but in general it would be quite helpful for a dog with KD.
2. Spirulina, chlorella and pumpkin seed oil are all high in chlorophyll and supplies lots of other nutrients. Dogs with KD can be at risk for anemia and chlorophyll is awesome for anemia.
3. Burdock root is a prebiotic and of the herb world is considered to be the “blood cleaner”.
4. Milk thistle helps spare glutathione and is a good detoxer.
5. Distilled water (given once in a while) and food grade activated charcoal are good detoxers too.
6. Copaiba essential oil is great for pains and inflammation plus more. A therapeutic grade, like Dr. Sheltons, is the only kind to use on pets. Can be given in food or rubbed into the skin over the kidneys as an example.
7. Braggs brand apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion or tummy issues. Audrey didn’t need it often but when she did I would mix it 50/50 with water and syringe feed it. She hated it but within seconds would burp and feel better.
8. Therapeutic grade peppermint oil, ginger extract or Dr. Shelton’s GI Joe essential oil work great for tummy issues as well. I got sick to my tummy and used the GI Joe to help. Kept me from vomiting and soothed my tummy.
9. Learn about essential oils if you don’t already know. If you have a Facebook account, join AnimalEO’s page and sign up for Dr. Shelton’s Friday Fun Facts. I didn’t know about them early enough to be much use with Audrey (specifically Dr. Shelton’s oils) but I sure wish I had.

DON’T do ANY more vaccinations – not even rabies if you can at all avoid. Audrey was legally exempted from having to get the rabies vaccine for life. She wasn’t protected either as she only got her first shot (at six months) before diagnosis was made. No heartworm, flea/tick or anything like that either.

I know there’s things I’m forgetting but hopefully this is enough to give you a good jumping off point.. 🙂 Hugs to you and your baby boy!!!!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by Shawna.

[DogFoodie]

Hi John,

I buy mine at my vet, but they have a great price and card what I want, so I’m lucky. Last time I took my two in for a check-up, I ended up winning a six month supply box for one of my dogs. I was so happy!

I have read that there are guidelines regarding heartworm preventatives. If you don’t buy it from certain places, and administer as prescribed, and your dog ends up with heartworms, you won’t be covered under their warranty. Just something for you to check into before you place an order.

My integrative medicine vet, whom I always see for wellness, uses Sentinel Spectrum for her own dogs and recommended it for mine as well.

[InkedMarie]

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.

[Glenna S]

Thanks to all of you. Believe me, Toby and Rex are getting plenty of hugs. Having been tested positive for heartworms on Christmas Eve, 2014, 2015 was indeed a year of stress. Best Wishes for the New Year to you all. Again, losul, thank you so ever much!

[Glenna S]

Dear losul: It has been a little over a year since you and I talked about our dogs, Toby and Rex being diagnosed with heartworms and having been on heart worm preventative all year round. Our vet’s advice was to do an “alternative” treatment plan using Doxycycline and Advantage Multi. Your helpful and extensive knowledge with Turbo (I believe is your dogs name) furthered our decision to go this route. We are so Happy and Pleased to let you know that we just returned from the vet and both Toby and Rex are heartworm free. Many thanks again to you for your encouragement – may this year be a blessed one for you.

[JeffreyT]

Here’s the best info on heart worm I’ve read. Check out part 2 for how to do lowest dosage.
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2009/05/13/heartworm-medication-safety/

[anonymously]

I have small breed dogs, I like Sentinel for a heartworm preventative. I use K9 Advantix II
I use the lowest amount possible to be effective according to their weight.

How often? Whether you can skip winter months? These questions should be addressed to a veterinarian that has examined your dog and has evaluated the risks involved, depending on the area you live in, how much your dog is outdoors, the dog’s age and medical issues. For example, I give the Sentinel every 6 weeks (not in winter)
Advantix in summer months….check them every evening for ticks, bathe once a week.

[anonymously]

I prefer to get my canine’s medical advice from a science-based veterinary healthcare professional.

“There is no “Natural” or “Holistic” Heartworm Prevention or Treatment Proven to be Safe and Effective” posted on June 30,2013 by skeptvet

Much of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is offered either as an addition to conventional, science-based treatment or in situations in which conventional therapies are unavailable or ineffective. This doesn’t excuse offering treatments that haven’t been properly tested, and it … Continue reading →
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=heartworm

[Michael D]

I took it very seriously, no the alcohol did not alter the test results. The test is 98% accurate and there was no other treatment. This saved my dogs life and saved me a couple thousand dollars in Vet bills. The treatment the vet gives is expensive and very aggressive and causes the heartworms to release a toxic poison which makes the dog even sicker. From what I understand the hops from that area make the heartworms sterile and make them age faster. They do not reproduce and they die off faster and they don’t release the toxin. When used as a preventative the larvae never grow to maturity. I’m not a chemist or medical professional so I don’t know if all that is correct. I do know that I have a dog that tested positive on three test and today four months later she tested negative and has no signs or symptoms of having heartworms.

[anonymously]

Please! I hope no one takes this seriously. The alcohol probably altered the test results to show a false negative. Or, the original veterinarian prescribed treatment finally kicked in and was reflected in the blood work.
Consult a veterinarian ASAP if your pet is positive for heartworm.
Immediate aggressive treatment is needed to try to save the animal’s life.

“Primum non nocere”

[Paula L]

My canine companion has long, thick, long hair and missing quite a few teeth. His hair seemed to wick away the topical flea medications from his skin and sprays don’t reach his skin. Some of the combination heartworm/ flea preventative combinations are cheaper than what my Vet charged for the two individual products I was buying before. I bought Trifexis first, but my dog couldn’t chew it, even after breaking it up. My Vet wrote a prescription for Sentinel Spectrum (she doesn’t sell it). This pill is much softer. I give it to him with food (per instructions) & he hasn’t had any vomiting.

[Michael D]

My little rescue JoJo tested positive for heartworms in Sept. 2015. I had been giving her heartworm prevention from the time I brought her home. I was devastated and had her checked two more times all three test showed positive. A co-worker told me about the Guinness beer treatment and I really had my doubts. I started the treatment and she never showed signs of illness. Today 1/9/16 I had her retested and it was NEGATIVE!!! I’m seriously considering taking all my dogs off the prevention and doing the Guinness treatment.

[Marla N]

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.

[anonymously]

I would be more worried about the dog surviving the heartworm treatment, that is a priority.
Otherwise I would go by your vet’s suggestion, maybe a high quality puppy food (canned and dry). I might add a tablespoon of chopped cooked chicken or chopped cooked chicken liver, add a little water to meals. I might feed 3-4 small meals per day instead of 2 regular ones. I would not add any supplements unless your vet advises so, just more junk for the liver to deal with. I would not give raw food to an old sick dog.
You don’t want rapid weight gain, too stressful, just a gradual increase.
Also, see what your vet advises regarding the flea allergy, frequent baths? Be careful about vaccinations and pesticides with a senior dog like this….
Walks/activity as tolerated, keep him moving.

[Mom T]

I was given a 10+ yr. old, very neglected, St. Bernard/Husky mix male dog for Christmas! He is so sweet and fits well in our family. After a couple of vet visits he is overall healthy with a few issues being heartworms, severe flea allergy and mild hip dysplasia. He also roughly half his weight at 65 lbs.

The more I read, the more I am confused on how to best put weight on him. The vet recommended puppy food. With his age I am concerned about pancreas issues feeding him a high fat diet. What would you recommend for…
Wet and dry foods?
Additives to food such as raw eggs, oils?
Vitamins…Pettabs?

Thanks for your help!

[anonymously]

I avoid the oral stuff, except for heartworm which I give every 6 weeks (not 4) in mosquito season only.
They are all pesticides, I use the least amount that I can to protect them. I have been using advantix II topical in the summer, but it depends on the dog, I have a small one that gets frequent baths, so I have gone back to alternating with preventic collars (amitraz).
I use deterrent “natural” sprays too…but I really don’t think they do much. They don’t kill the ticks/fleas.
I’d go all natural, but I lost a dog to Lyme and I don’t want to go through that again.

I don’t know when it got so complicated to own a dog. I’m leery of vaccines too. I decline them after puppy shots. But, there is still the rabies….

PS: I have never observed any adverse effects, but I have not used oral flea/tick preventives. One dog got a rash from the collar, so I can’t use it on him. He is elderly and doesn’t go far, so I just bathe him frequently.
I am sorry for your loss.

[weezerweeks]

I forgot to mention that I use Dr. Beckers spray for fleas and ticks and I don’t have to use any chemicals,just Heartgard for heartworms.This is a Mercola product and it works great.

[anonymously]

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/

[Gracee Sunshine Alexiss]

I got my baby yorkie Gracee at 8 weeks she was on purina super cheap adult dry dog food don’t even know how she chewed it. Changed gradually to Wellness trufood. She has received 2 sets of shots and due for the 3rd tomorrow. She’s on Revolution for flea conyrol, heartworm prevention. She had tapeworms but finally got rid of those completely nasty things eeeyyyukkk ! For the last 3 weeks she is so itchy I scratch her all the time around her hiney especially I check for fecal matter and sometimes there’s a bit so I remove it of course she also seems to be itchy around her armpit area where her hair seems to be kinda thining. But when we are training she is always stopping and tending to her rear area I always check where she is tending seems to be her little nub and the backs of her little legs. Please help me find some relief for my little darling I just love her so much and it breaks my heart to see her so uncomfortable. I did try to add some coconut oil but was unsure of the amount and frequency and I had concerns of her lipids going of the charts. Thank you for obliging my super long post. I tried to find some answers before my post by I have to go to work and I’m impatient I guess. Any and all suggest are welcomed. I would also appreciate a #1 food for complete nutrition and weight control. Thanks everyone for your valuable time.
Gracee ‘ s Momma

[anonymously]

He needs to go to the vet for a checkup, that is just part of basic care for a pet.
Once a year, heartworm check, etc.
This is a special situation, you don’t know where he’s been or what he has been exposed to.
You didn’t mention how long he was out there. Frequent vomiting and poor appetite are obvious signs of illness. He could be nauseas or in pain, some dogs are more stoic than others and are good at hiding it.

Get him a clean bill of health, you will both feel better 🙂

PS: I’m glad he found his way back to you. But, if you are truly between a rock and a hard place, contact your local SPCA, explain your situation and they will tell you your options.
https://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq

[Kim S]

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.

[Shawna]

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!!

[Anonymous]

“I didn’t know there were dermatologists for dogs. I wonder if I can just go see one instead of a vet? They might know more than a vet would maybe”?

Yes, you can, and I was going to suggest that. What area are you in (state)? You can call the nearest veterinary school, often they have specialists or will know where to refer you.
Bring whatever records you have, negative heartworm test if you have it, proof of last rabies ( the only vaccination required by law). The only thing is…if they think the dog needs some lab work to rule out medical issues….but they probably have regular vets there too. Has the dog seen a vet in the last couple of years?

I wouldn’t worry too much about the food right now, the skin condition/allergies might not even be related to it. I would make seeing the dermatologist the #1 priority. One thing at a time.

I understand where your uncle is coming from, some dogs do okay on a low quality food, but some don’t. See what the vet says. Paying more doesn’t always mean it’s better!
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/ I have learned a lot from this site (link)

PS: I’d rather be an outdoor dog instead of an indoor dog that was crated all day 😉