Heartworm Injections, Affordable Vet?

[karly101]

The fact is there have been major issues with the drug & your vet would be fully aware if they keep themselves current with products they sell/administer

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I'm anti the injection, but I have to say, I don't believe there is any scientific evidence showing major issues with the injection in Australia. Our reps visit us every 6 weeks, my boss goes to listen to specialists talk almost every fortnight, we get the AVA newsletters, The Veterinarian magazine and not yet has there been information given to us about 'major issues'.

I've never seen a reaction to SR-12 and in our last clinic almost all our clients received it at the time of vaccination. I don't think it's fair to say a vet musn't keep up to date with the latest information because they haven't seen or heard of reactions proven to be from the drug.

If you can provide links or references though, and not just of people claiming to have reactions, then I'm more than happy to be proven wrong

I can also say.. not that we do a huge number of SR-12 injections but.. for the dogs we do them on... the majority we only see once a year for a vacc, many are now getting on a bit in age as well (as all our younger patients are recommended to use the monthlys purely from a cost perspective). Have never seen a reaction or had an owner ring upset that their dog was showing anything different/acting different after one.

[Remarkabull]

3 of my 5 dogs have had the injections and have had them for a few years now and we have never had a reaction to them. For those 3 dogs I will continue to get the yearly injection because it is convenient and I can forget about it for another year.

Not sure if I'll have the Dobe done though. He is on Interceptor (as is the AMSTAFF X) and will probably stick with it because the injection is so bloody expensive particularly for dogs over 30 kgs and it takes care of intestinal worms at the same time.

[moosepup]

but also because I won't 'forget' to do the monthly treatment (it if you lapse the monthly treatment even by a week, you have to retest etc).

no you don't, in fact I only give my dogs heartworm treatment every 6 weeks. I mark it on the calander

Ditto, I give my furkids Interceptor 6 weekly and just put a note on the fridge calendar. I have to eat at least once a day ;) so very rarely miss seeing it.

[Red Fox]

Just because there appears to be no immediate adverse reaction to a chemical (whether that be a vaccination, medication, flea/tick prevention/treatment, etc.) it does not necessarily mean that there will be no long term effects.

Just a though..

[koalathebear]

Just because there appears to be no immediate adverse reaction to a chemical (whether that be a vaccination, medication, flea/tick prevention/treatment, etc.) it does not necessarily mean that there will be no long term effects.

Just a though..

I know - but it is extremely hard to find consensus on most things even vaccination and desexing. At the end of the day, I've found a vet I trust and I'll believe in her (of course not blindly) for my dog's health. I know that there are many on DOL with a great deal of suspicion about vets but let's face it, if you trawl through the threads here, you'll find that the persons that fall in the category of 'stupid' or 'clueless' include: vets, pet shop staff, joggers, ordinary people, family members and ... *gasp* other dog owners ... Even if you think you're doing everything right by your dog you can't be sure. I am not feeding barf or raw, I desexed my two relatively young ... I probably have done a dozen things that lots of more rigorous DOLers wouldn't do but that's fine. So far my two are ok (touch wood) and if anything goes wrong, I know that there are people out there to who I can turn. ETA: I am at the oncology ward a lot more often than I'd like and there are heaps and heaps of people there who would swear that they had done everything right in terms of nutrition, exercise and meds their whole life and yet they still end up there ...

Also, things go in fads. I wouldn't be surprised if years from now we discover it's bad for our dogs to be fed so and so, to not be fed this and that. This wonder drug will turn out to be carcinogenic, that wonder shampoo will turn out to be evil. All we can do is the best we can now with the information we have available to us.

Edited December 12, 2010 by koalathebear

[labsrule]

Just because there appears to be no immediate adverse reaction to a chemical (whether that be a vaccination, medication, flea/tick prevention/treatment, etc.) it does not necessarily mean that there will be no long term effects.

Just a though..

That's exactly right SecretKei - people, think all is OK with the world if there is no immediate adverse reaction (I used to think like this as well), little do we know that there could be a "ticking time bomb".

Same goes for the huge amount of toxic dog toys out there. Majority of dog owners would have no idea that the majority of toys their dogs chew on every single day contains toxic substances that are harmful to our dogs and the frightening thing is that there is no regulation to protect our pets from this, unlike human kids

I had some interesting and very enlightening conversations with my deceased boy's Oncologist and it is extremely frightening about the ever increasing rate of canine cancers out there and the potential causes and Cancer is the single biggest killer of our dogs. Too many dog owners are just not aware of the dangers lurking out there for our dogs and some will always choose to remain ignorant, others will pooh pooh any warnings out there, even with credible research and findings and others will do some research and get thoroughly confused and just opt for the "safe norm" and others will do the relevant research either based on a bad experience/loss of a dog or just to educate themselves more and then weigh up the pros and cons and do what they think is in the best interest of their dogs, even if it goes againt Vet's advice and the way they may have raised previous dogs.

I think people should be much more concerned about the over exposure of our dogs to chemicals and toxins via annual vaccinations, annual heartworm injections, application of monthly flea and tick treatments, wormers and dog toys. I also think there should be much more education and information out there regarding desexing and the pros and cons of early desexing vs waiting until physical maturity.

[OSoSwift]

My Stafford had a reaction to a yearly heartworm injection. He developed a lump bigger than my fist on the side of his neck, could not lift his head, had a temperature and was off colour for a week.

I have not given yearly heartworm for many years. I use Advocate and it has quite a generous le-way if you do forget. I give it on the first day of the month.

I have read all the literature and decided that the monthly products - which can be used at a greater gap than 4 weeks, are much safer than the injection. I am also against puting 12 months worth of something into my dog if I can avoid it. I have a calender on my fridge with it written in nice red printing

[poodlemum]

I have had my dogs on the ProHart injection since it was forst available - no ill effects. I used to find it hard remembering to give them the monthly treatment.

To the OP - I used to go to Diamond Creek Veterinary Clinic when I lived in Yarrambat - it's not TOO horrendously far from you & Anthony Gross is a very nice, caring & knowledgeable Vet.