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Annual Heartworm Injection


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please please please people... think twice before injecting any substance to your dog.

my dog almost died as well from this Proheart Sr-12 injection. 3-4 days after the injection, it started to developed rashes, swollen eyes and fever. The rashes became darker and darker and bigger. The black patches varied from 0.5cm - 2.5cm in diameter. On Sunday, 1 April 2012, I had no choice but have to bring him to Sydney Uni Veterinarian Hospital Emergency Services because of the high fever and my dog was almost unconscious.

They prescribed Dex (my dog) with 5 different kind of pills and creams. It cost me $360. Up until now the black patches (according to hospital, the black patches are due to the dying skin cells as the result of the injection) have not yet gone. He is still weak and itchy.

Today I was doing my research about this injection and bumped into this forum. I want APVMA to ban this substance. Unfortunately, they can't do anything if no one is reporting to them. So I beg for you whose dogs had had bad reactions or almost died or died to report it to APVMA (Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority). According to their 2009 report, only one dog died from ProHeart SR-12. I really doubt that report because many people don't know where or how to report their incidents. If there are more and more people report, they will take more into the consideration to ban the substance.

The direct link to report is :

http://www.apvma.gov.au/use_safely/adverse/veterinary.php

Please report your adverse effects to APVMA and who knows we might save many dogs' lives from death.

Thank you

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Guest lavendergirl

please please please people... think twice before injecting any substance to your dog.

my dog almost died as well from this Proheart Sr-12 injection. 3-4 days after the injection, it started to developed rashes, swollen eyes and fever. The rashes became darker and darker and bigger. The black patches varied from 0.5cm - 2.5cm in diameter. On Sunday, 1 April 2012, I had no choice but have to bring him to Sydney Uni Veterinarian Hospital Emergency Services because of the high fever and my dog was almost unconscious.

They prescribed Dex (my dog) with 5 different kind of pills and creams. It cost me $360. Up until now the black patches (according to hospital, the black patches are due to the dying skin cells as the result of the injection) have not yet gone. He is still weak and itchy.

Today I was doing my research about this injection and bumped into this forum. I want APVMA to ban this substance. Unfortunately, they can't do anything if no one is reporting to them. So I beg for you whose dogs had had bad reactions or almost died or died to report it to APVMA (Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority). According to their 2009 report, only one dog died from ProHeart SR-12. I really doubt that report because many people don't know where or how to report their incidents. If there are more and more people report, they will take more into the consideration to ban the substance.

The direct link to report is :

http://www.apvma.gov.au/use_safely/adverse/veterinary.php

Please report your adverse effects to APVMA and who knows we might save many dogs' lives from death.

Thank you

Thanks so much for posting this information. Sorry your dog became so ill and hope he makes a full recovery.

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  • 4 years later...

Bumping up a SUPER old thread today.

My parent's toy poodle pup had his first checkup with their/our vet today. The vet wanted to give the heartworm injection but his person who bred his mum repeated to me a half dozen times over two phone calls NOT to give it to him.

However, this same vet recommended that I don't give the injection to my dog as he has an autoimmune disorder and there was some data about it potentially being bad for such dogs AND MORE IMPORTANTLY she trusted that I would remember to remember to give him the tablets. She was prepared to give my dog the jab as she said it was perfectly safe, but that it may be safer to do the tablets since I could be trusted to remember them.

In other words, as per below, the risk of no coverage is worse than any risks associated with the vaccine, even for a dog with an autoimmune disorder. My parents were terrible at remembering our papillon's heartworm tablets so they're going to have keep that in mind.

I'd be interested to hear others' views on the matter.

But, as I mentioned, if the health risks were as overwhelming as people claim in here, vets would refuse to give the injection. Clearly they don't benefit from killing people's dogs.

Also, my vet is young, and she doesn't recommend annual vaccinations.

The health risks of obesity are overwhelming to dogs. How many vets will tell a dog owner that their dog is too fat. I'll tell you it ain't many.

You know what I think? I think a lot of vets would be advocating the injection because they weigh the risks of no coverage of heartworm against the risk of the jab and decide in favour of the jab. And if they assess a pet dog owner as being unlikely to ensure that their dogs get heartworm protection by any other means, then I agree with them.

But for a dedicated dog owner who's prepared to avoid the injection and use a LOWER RISK option - why wouldn't you??

I completely agree with TW!

I also think vets are so used to treating to the lowest common denominator that unless you walk in with "dedicated dog owner" tattooed on your forehead a vet will recommend the 12mth injection.

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Bumping up a SUPER old thread today.

My parent's toy poodle pup had his first checkup with their/our vet today. The vet wanted to give the heartworm injection but his person who bred his mum repeated to me a half dozen times over two phone calls NOT to give it to him.

However, this same vet recommended that I don't give the injection to my dog as he has an autoimmune disorder and there was some data about it potentially being bad for such dogs AND MORE IMPORTANTLY she trusted that I would remember to remember to give him the tablets. She was prepared to give my dog the jab as she said it was perfectly safe, but that it may be safer to do the tablets since I could be trusted to remember them.

In other words, as per below, the risk of no coverage is worse than any risks associated with the vaccine, even for a dog with an autoimmune disorder. My parents were terrible at remembering our papillon's heartworm tablets so they're going to have keep that in mind.

I'd be interested to hear others' views on the matter.

There is absolutely no way in hell I'd be injecting any of my dogs with an insecticide (yes, that's what it is) that cannot be reversed if there are issues. Not that I feel strongly about it or anything, :D

I'd say vets might recommend it if they think owners won't regularly heartworm treat their dogs. For most dogs I suppose it's a lesser risk than contracting heartworm.

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How old is the pup because from what I just went through with my little boy is that he wasn't required to have heartworm prevention until 6 months of age.

I've used Proheart in the past without any issues but I've since decided to use monthly tablets (Valuheart) instead. I use a pet care app on my phone which gives me reminders when each treatment/vac/ etc is due and also what it is.

Edited by RiverStar-Aura
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He is 13 weeks. The vet said something about giving him a shot now and then a booster at 6 months... something about puppies outgrowing the vaccine.

I just have several calendar reminders in my phone for Mal's heart and intestinal worming. What is the name of the app you use?

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The app is called iPet Care. It's the most handy thing on my phone and stores all 3 dogs listed individually, my cat, their microchip numbers, diets, weight chart, birthday, next vet visit (can set date reminder) and even upload any PDFs you might want. There's also a very handy general notes section which I keep all breeder details, sire/dam rego numbers which I need for entering shows and agility.

Plus it's idiot proof because I can use it!! :laugh:

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He is 13 weeks. The vet said something about giving him a shot now and then a booster at 6 months... something about puppies outgrowing the vaccine.

I just have several calendar reminders in my phone for Mal's heart and intestinal worming. What is the name of the app you use?

No No No!

Your pup doesn't need anything for heartworm until they are 6 months old. It is not that hard to remember, phone apps, big red crosses on a paper calendar. I use valuhart for my dogs and administer every 6 weeks. I use a paper calendar.

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He is 13 weeks. The vet said something about giving him a shot now and then a booster at 6 months... something about puppies outgrowing the vaccine.

I just have several calendar reminders in my phone for Mal's heart and intestinal worming. What is the name of the app you use?

No No No!

Your pup doesn't need anything for heartworm until they are 6 months old. It is not that hard to remember, phone apps, big red crosses on a paper calendar. I use valuhart for my dogs and administer every 6 weeks. I use a paper calendar.

Yes agree. I just put reminders on my computer calendar.

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He is 13 weeks. The vet said something about giving him a shot now and then a booster at 6 months... something about puppies outgrowing the vaccine.

I just have several calendar reminders in my phone for Mal's heart and intestinal worming. What is the name of the app you use?

No No No!

Your pup doesn't need anything for heartworm until they are 6 months old. It is not that hard to remember, phone apps, big red crosses on a paper calendar. I use valuhart for my dogs and administer every 6 weeks. I use a paper calendar.

Thanks for clarifying Rebanne. So many people just don't realise this and I can't believe the vet would even suggest the injection on a puppy.

Mine told me not to HW until 6 months then the choice of product was up to me. I also use Valuheart but on the 1st of every month.

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Not my dog guys!! My parents' puppy. I have no problem remembering when to give MY dog his plethora of pills and potions, I just have recurring calendar events on my phone with alarms.

Anyway, my parents have decided to go with the tablets/chews instead of the injection, but Dad is going to set reminders in his outlook calendar and ensure it gets done. If Mum were in charge she'd probably hit snooze/stop and forget about it as she's a goose that way. I like the sound of that app though, angry red reminders may do the trick. :D

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