Do You Do Heartworm Tests Before Using Meds?

[sandgrubber]

In the US you have to test for heartworm and get a script to buy tablets. My Australian vet told me that testing wasn't necessary (hope I'm not loosing my memory). US Americans seem to think you can kill your dog by giving tablets if the dog is already infected. I can't remember ever hearing this in Australia. Curious about the difference.

[megan_]

I think it depends on what tablets you give.

[ellz]

It depends upon the age of the dog. If it is older than 6 months it should be tested prior to medication commencing. Yes, if a dog already has heartworm and is started on certain medications, it can be fatal.

[sandgrubber]

I think my vet in Oz said that it used to be the case that meds were dangerous to dogs who were already infected, but the modern versions were generally safe. I'm pretty sure she said HeartGuard was fine, and the injectable didn't require prior testing . . . I can't remember that she said "but if you use X,Y or Z you MUST test first". I seem to remember reading that Sentinel and Revolution were safe, too. So which ones are dangerous?

Edited September 24, 2010 by sandgrubber

[ellz]

I don't know, I don't do heartworm meds.

But I DO know that my mother had a dog that she almost killed with heartworm meds in Sydney because the dog was infected.

[MolassesLass]

I don't lapse and start at 8 weeks so no need to test.

When I was doing rescue, if I didn't know a dog had been on heartworm meds then I would test before administering.

FYI the below message is on the HeartGard website.

IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION: HEARTGARD is well tolerated. All dogs should be tested for heartworm infection before starting a preventive program.

[Guest Tess32]

It's the daily Dimmitrol tabs that you should test for....they work differently than most of the monthly ones. I think because they kill the larvae, it can make it's way into the dog's lungs.

[Sunnyflower]

I don't know, I don't do heartworm meds.

But I DO know that my mother had a dog that she almost killed with heartworm meds in Sydney because the dog was infected.

ellz, just wanted to ask your reasoning as to why you don't use heart worm meds?

Is that just the tablets or you don't medicate this at all?

The only reason I ask is because I was told by a Cavalier breeder who had been breeding for over 30 years and she had mountains of research to support the damage vaccinations and heartworming can do to dogs.

I'll just stick with the heartworming side of things but she heartwormed as puppies and never again purely for the fact that it is actually more dangerous for a dog to have it all year round then never at all! She said if you are going to do heartworming ONLY do it whilst the mozzies are out as they are the things that generally infects the dogs. She hasn't heartwormed for 30 odd years and never had a dog come down with heartworm.

I have read all the articles she has and tend to lean towards what she believes. So much research to support this and the vaccination causes.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Sunnyflower

[Guest Tess32]

I don't know, I don't do heartworm meds.

But I DO know that my mother had a dog that she almost killed with heartworm meds in Sydney because the dog was infected.

ellz, just wanted to ask your reasoning as to why you don't use heart worm meds?

Is that just the tablets or you don't medicate this at all?

The only reason I ask is because I was told by a Cavalier breeder who had been breeding for over 30 years and she had mountains of research to support the damage vaccinations and heartworming can do to dogs.

I'll just stick with the heartworming side of things but she heartwormed as puppies and never again purely for the fact that it is actually more dangerous for a dog to have it all year round then never at all! She said if you are going to do heartworming ONLY do it whilst the mozzies are out as they are the things that generally infects the dogs. She hasn't heartwormed for 30 odd years and never had a dog come down with heartworm.

I have read all the articles she has and tend to lean towards what she believes. So much research to support this and the vaccination causes.

I only heartworm during the summer months, but how risky it is very much depends on WHERE you live and the prevalance of heartworm in those places.

If you live in an area where it is common, I would find it pretty irresponsible not to heartworm medicate at all. The CURE for heartworm is not exactly nice.

Vaccinations are really a different issue.

[ellz]

I live in Tasmania. There is not sufficient evidence at this stage to support the evidence provided by some that the mosquitos which carry heartworm live here because of our climate.

When I lived on the mainland, all dogs were heartwormed routinely. If I sell a puppy interstate, they are given comprehensive information about heartworming and if older dogs are rehomed interstate, I do the same, with the advice that the dog be tested prior to commencing and the results forwarded to me. I have not yet sent an older dog interstate and had a positive heartworm test in any of them.

Edited September 24, 2010 by ellz

[Staranais]

I thought it was that if the dog was heavily affected with mature heartworm & you give it an adulticide, the adult worm are killed & get washed out of the pulmonary vessels & can cause embolisms in the lungs? Only speaking from theory though cos we don't have heartworm where I live.

[Sunnyflower]

I live in Tasmania. There is not sufficient evidence at this stage to support the evidence provided by some that the mosquitos which carry heartworm live here because of our climate.

When I lived on the mainland, all dogs were heartwormed routinely. If I sell a puppy interstate, they are given comprehensive information about heartworming and if older dogs are rehomed interstate, I do the same, with the advice that the dog be tested prior to commencing and the results forwarded to me. I have not yet sent an older dog interstate and had a positive heartworm test in any of them.

Thank you! The breeder I chatted with when I first got Oscar said exactly what your thoughts are about it too.

[Sunnyflower]

I don't know, I don't do heartworm meds.

But I DO know that my mother had a dog that she almost killed with heartworm meds in Sydney because the dog was infected.

ellz, just wanted to ask your reasoning as to why you don't use heart worm meds?

Is that just the tablets or you don't medicate this at all?

The only reason I ask is because I was told by a Cavalier breeder who had been breeding for over 30 years and she had mountains of research to support the damage vaccinations and heartworming can do to dogs.

I'll just stick with the heartworming side of things but she heartwormed as puppies and never again purely for the fact that it is actually more dangerous for a dog to have it all year round then never at all! She said if you are going to do heartworming ONLY do it whilst the mozzies are out as they are the things that generally infects the dogs. She hasn't heartwormed for 30 odd years and never had a dog come down with heartworm.

I have read all the articles she has and tend to lean towards what she believes. So much research to support this and the vaccination causes.

I only heartworm during the summer months, but how risky it is very much depends on WHERE you live and the prevalance of heartworm in those places.

If you live in an area where it is common, I would find it pretty irresponsible not to heartworm medicate at all. The CURE for heartworm is not exactly nice.

Vaccinations are really a different issue.

This is when I only heartworm my boy too! I personally don't like the idea of the heartworm injection and only want him to have it when required. I do live right by a lake so need to be very mindful of that which I am but I rarely see mosquitos which is lovely.

[ellz]

IF there were overwhelming evidence that heartworm was a regular thing in Tasmania, then yes, I would routinely dose my dogs but at this point, I see no necessity.

And likewise, if any of the tests done on older dogs that I have sent interstate had come back as positive, then I would have started everything else on heartworm medication as well.

But it hasn't come to that....yet.

[RuralPug]

Re this poll, I am "other".

My own dogs are on regular monthly preventatives (which I now use 6 weekly with the agreement of my vet.) Fosters and passers-through etc. I always test before STARTING preventatives if the dog is more than five months old (my vet showed the preserved heartworm infected organs of a large breed puppy that had been infected soon after birth. Oh Boy, ;) that was a wake up call! That puppy died at age 6 months during the treatment to try and kill the adult heartworms. )

I do not gap, because I want to retain the option of travelling with my dogs and if I need to go somewhere in a hurry I don't want to have to worry about whether they have heartworm prevention coverage, the risk where I'm headed etc.etc. Some of my family live in areas where the risk is 365/365. (Maybe the mozzies take Leap Year Day off? )

[♥Baxter♥]

How does the HW vacc work?

[OSoSwift]

We have heaps of mozzies all year round. Some of the mozzies are not the ones that carry heart worm (they must be the Ross River/Bahma river Virus carrying ones!) but there have been dogs born and bred around here that have contracted it, not many but enough for me.

[stormie]

The HW Injection isn't a vaccine. It's just heartworm preventative in a slow release formula that you inject all at once and it slowly releases the drug over a period of a year.

As for testing prior to using prevention - The drug used in the daily tabs, DEC, can react with the babies of the heartworm, which can kill the dog. This doesn't happen in the modern monthly/injection drugs, which work by just killing the larval stage of about 0-30days old, so if a dog does have a heartworm infestation, giving the injection or a monthly treatment will not harm the dog.

[Rebanne]

In the US you have to test for heartworm and get a script to buy tablets. My Australian vet told me that testing wasn't necessary (hope I'm not loosing my memory). US Americans seem to think you can kill your dog by giving tablets if the dog is already infected. I can't remember ever hearing this in Australia. Curious about the difference.

my vets have always said you must test your dog before giving heartworm meds if the dog is over 6 months old.

[Edenishy]

My understanding was if you treated a dog with heartworming meds AND the dog was infected by ADULT heartworms, it can be deadly.

It takes about 6 months for a heartworm to mature into an adult.

It was explained to me thats why its best to get a puppy on meds (if needed) before six months, otherwise a test would need to be performed.