Heart Worm Prevention

[Michelleva]

Last October we adopted a 7 1/2 yo cavalier. I have all his vet history, as well as pedigree papers etc. When the former owners purchased Jake he was 9 months old and the breeder advised that he'd been treated monthly for heartworm with Pro Heart. When these people took him on, they obviously dropped the monthly dose of heart worm and replaced it with a yearly needle made by the same company.

Since being on DOL I've seen questions raised about the safety of the yearly injection for heartworm, so I was thinking maybe I should go back to the monthly pill for heart worm. Do you think this would have any adverse affects on him. He's due to go to the vet in June for vaccination, so I will speak to them as well. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can before I go there.

I just want to do the right thing for my old boy. He's a lovely dog and has fitted in perfectly with our family.

[Cavandra]

Yes, I would most definately drop all Vaccinations at his age especially. :D

He can only get heartworm if there are mossies about, and even then it is very hard to actually contract it........Go back to Proheart monthly tablets through Summer, they last 6 weeks actually, so there is never any reason to panic if it is not done the same day each month.

There isnt much point asking the Vet about it as most Aussie Vets are not up to speed on the dangers of annual vaccine & heartworm injection :D

[Michelleva]

Thanks for the reply. I do agree about the vets, thats why I thought I'd ask for some opinions here. So you don't think there's any point with the actual vaccination jabs either. I've never actually been someone who religiously took our pets for annual vaccinations, I think its more about $$$ than anything else. Our kids don't need a booster shot every year, so why should a cat or dog?

[Guest Tess32]

Thanks for the reply. I do agree about the vets, thats why I thought I'd ask for some opinions here. So you don't think there's any point with the actual vaccination jabs either. I've never actually been someone who religiously took our pets for annual vaccinations, I think its more about $$$ than anything else. Our kids don't need a booster shot every year, so why should a cat or dog?

Nope, yearly vaccinations are pointless.