[gmcbogger38]

I’m not sure if this is the proper place to post this question, so if it isn’t I apologize. What products do y’all use for heartworm “preventative” and does anybody use all natural stuff? I have read a couple articles online by people who swear up and down that Guinness Draught beer (the black label brewed in Dublin) has turned dogs from heartworm positive to heartworm negative and they said they will continue using it for their dogs. They claim the hops have something in them that will kill heartworms. The dosage is 1oz per 10lbs body weight. This is obviously not scientific evidence, but I was wondering if anybody else has heard about this and/or tried this. I really don’t want to use any chemicals for heartworms. I understand, though, using all natural remedies it is best to have my dogs tested twice per year instead of once per year, just in case. What are y’alls opinions?

[pugmomsandy]

Haven’t heard of the beer prevention method but I use essential oils for mosquito repellent.

[theBCnut]

I just read a study on ginger extract to treat heartworms, but they weren’t looking at it to prevent heartworms. I’ve never heard of beer as a preventive. I live in a area where heartworms are very prevalent and after working for a vet for many years and seeing how hard treatment is on dogs, I’m afraid to try alternative preventives. The only one I’ve read about that has any study behind it at all has to be given 3 times a day. Heartworm preventives is the one chemical my dogs are getting.

If I lived in an area where it wasn’t so common, I would probably risk it though.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I use Ivermectin based preventatives (just Ivermectin – no wormers) every 45 days during season (usually May – October).

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks!

[pugmomsandy]

There are also heartworm nosodes.

http://vitalanimal.com/

http://www.naturalrearing.com/coda/n_heartworm.html

http://www.holisticvetclinic.net/pages/heartworm_treatment

[InkedMarie]

Heartworm isn’t something I’m not willing to chance. Mine get Heartgard every 45 days, may til october

[Colorado huntress]

Give Heartgard as well, but would like some advice here, please. I got my female Brit lab from Tenn in June – she lived outside in a run/pen there & was given heart worm preventative on a monthly basis. I had her tested in June & she was negative, but the vet there said to keep her on the meds & have her re-tested in 6 months. We have very few Mosquitos here, & only for about 2 months of the year, so….most people only give Heartgard during that time (the vets are ok w/ that here). Also, same situation with my little guy that I got from LA in July – he tested negative & I have him on Heartgard as well. My question I guess is this……is it possible that they could still test positive for heart worms if I stopped giving the preventative in December?? We usually have snow staying on the ground & temps going below 0 degrees -January we get a lot of -30+ temps. I haven’t done much research on the ‘cons’ of heart worm preventative, but it IS a chemical, & I don’t know anybody from here that gives it to their dogs except for maybe 2 months in early Summer. It has nothing to do with the cost of the meds, I bought enough for a year for each of them. So…anybody have any advice?

[theBCnut]

It has nothing to do with when you stop giving preventative. It can take 6 months after an infected mosquito bite for a dog to test positive, so when you get a new dog you want to test after 6 months to make sure it didn’t get heartworms before you got the dog.

[Colorado huntress]

So….ok, that makes sense. Do you suggest that I keep giving the Heartgard & for how long?

[theBCnut]

I would give a final dose for the year 45 days after the weather has gotten too cold for mosquitoes.

[gmcbogger38]

I know of 1 dog who still got heartworms while taking heartgard. And the owners are anal about keeping him on it on a regular basis. They said heartgard was paying for the treatment, though. You can look on Dr. Karen Becker’s website Mercola Healthy Pets and she has a map of the United States and the risk of heartworms for each area color coded on the map. It tells you which area you live in when to start and stop giving the medicine.

[theBCnut]

Where I live Heartgard is known for not always working. And there are some areas around the Mississippi where it is know that the heartworms are immune.

[Colorado huntress]

Thanks! I used to live in New Orleans & 1 hr North of there (where Hurricane Katrina hit), so I can believe that the heart worms are immune (roaches were immune to bug spray, lol!).
I am very thankful that we don’t have Mosquitos – actually haven’t seen any around here in years, the gnats make up for it in the summer 🙁

[Hound Dog Mom]

Per the studies done the only heart worm preventative found to be 100% effective was Advantage Multi – it was a small study though so my guess is that if it were larger Advantage Multi would have some failures as well (just a hunch). Most vets are observing equal numbers of failures with Interceptor/Sentinel, Heartguard and Revolution. The failures are mostly seen in large breed, outdoor dogs.

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/Leading-parasitologist-reveals-heartworm-preventiv/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/703785

http://www.yourpetsbestfriend.com/your_pets_best_friend/2008/04/heartworm-preve.html

[theBCnut]

That is right in line with our experience. It was hunting hounds that would come up positive. Living outdoors, having a larger surface area for mosquitoes to bite, and short thin hair would make you more susceptible just because your exposure is so much more, I would think.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Then Gertie and Mabel should have a very elevated risk – with their ears and wrinkles they have tons of surface area! lol

[theBCnut]

Well I know that they’ve wormed their way into your heart. At least they don’t live in Mosquito Central.

[NectarMom]

If your dogs are on Heart Guard and if your dogs get heart worms while on it and you haven’t skipped a monthly dose if your dog gets heart worm the Company will only pay for 1/2 of the heart worm treatment. While Tri heart will pay for 100% of the heart worm treatment if your dog gets heat worms on their product, Tri Heart is a lot cheaper than heart guard also. The vet I work at we have seen more cases of dogs getting heart worms while on Heart Guard.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by NectarMom.

[gmcbogger38]

That’s part of why I don’t want to put them on a pill. If you don’t skip any doses and the dog still gets heartworm, that would mean the product failed and you wasted your money with it. And the reason the product would fail would be because of the resistance to that particular medication. Such a tough decision, but I appreciate the comments. And I appreciate not being called an irresponsible owner for asking this. Other places I have been called that lol.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by gmcbogger38.

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