# Heart Worm Pill Recommendations?



## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

I used to use Revolution as my flea, tick and heartworm preventative monthly treatment for Ninja but the vet told me that it is too much junk in his system and I shouldn't use it only maybe every 2 months. He told me to get a heart worm pill but I forgot to ask for recommendations. Does anybody have any? Thank you


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, Lumi, (is it)? Here is Jean Dodds recomendations. Although in NY. I don't think you need them now. 

Dr. Jean Dodds recommends the monthly PLAIN heartworm medicine given every 45 days. Basically the medications that just contain Ivermectin (although note that Ivermectin can be a problem for Border Collies and related breeds, so ask your vet for an alternative). Do not use the 6-month shots, use the monthly preventative so you have control in the event your animal experiences a reaction to the medication. It is an accepted practice among dog owners who practice holistic care that Interceptor and Heartgard are given every six weeks instead of every four because they are effective for that long. If you live in a state that does not have mosquitoes year round, it is also important to take your dog off the pills for a few months. In order for microfilariae to develop into the infective stage, it needs to be sufficiently warm (above 57 degrees) for a period of time. It takes approximately 6 months for the microfilariae to mature into adult heartworms, so stopping the drug for a few months will still allow for kill of the various stages when started up again. In fact, ask your vet -- if the adult heartworm load is not too heavy, it is possible to treat the dog using the heartworm preventative rather than putting them through the toxic treatment of arsenic to kill the worms. It is a good idea to give Milk Thistle or an herbal liver detox formula following a dose of the heartworm drug


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

My contract from my breeder specifically states that I must use Interceptor as my Heartworm preventative for Kodi. This is milbemycin oxime. I know that my breeder had a problem with one of her dogs having a horrific reaction to heartworm medicine, which left him with permanent neurological damage. After that, she switched all her dogs to Interceptor. None of the others had had a problem, but since they are all related (via her foundation stock) she didn't want to take a chance. 

He has done fine on it, and I will continue with it for that reason. But if you don't know of a sensitivity that your dog (or his family) has to a specific drug, you don't need to avoid ivermectin.

Dave, you said:

>> If you live in a state that does not have mosquitoes year round, it is also important to take your dog off the pills for a few months. In order for microfilariae to develop into the infective stage, it needs to be sufficiently warm (above 57 degrees) for a period of time. <<

Here in N.E., we have had several mild winters recently. (though not this one so far!ound There have DEFINITELY been days here and there where temps were high enough that the mosquitoes came out. Not swarms, but a few. Our vet suggested keeping Kodi on the Heartworm meds year round because of that. Are you saying that the temps have to be higher and the mosquitoes active longer before there is a risk?


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I use Heartgard once a month chewable as my heartworm preventative. I use this year round.


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## baileyandenzo (Nov 3, 2010)

Bailey and Enzo are on interceptor as well and we love it!


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

Thank you and yes Dave it's Lumi  

My vet said to start giving the heart worm pill the first day of April up until November. He said to avoid it the other 4 months.

Thanks for the recommendations everyone!!


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I use Interceptor. During the warm months I give it once a month and in the cold months stretch that out a couple weeks. Because I go to dog shows, I don't want to take them off, not just for the heartworm but the others it is supposed to rid the dog of. We've had no problems. Remember, if you use Interceptor, it works "backwards". It kills any that have entered the dogs system.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

krandall said:


> My contract from my breeder specifically states that I must use Interceptor as my Heartworm preventative for Kodi. This is milbemycin oxime. I know that my breeder had a problem with one of her dogs having a horrific reaction to heartworm medicine, which left him with permanent neurological damage. After that, she switched all her dogs to Interceptor. None of the others had had a problem, but since they are all related (via her foundation stock) she didn't want to take a chance.
> 
> He has done fine on it, and I will continue with it for that reason. But if you don't know of a sensitivity that your dog (or his family) has to a specific drug, you don't need to avoid ivermectin.
> 
> ...


Yeah Karen, I asked Sabine about temps here because my vet wanted to give year round. Sabine follows Jean Dodds protocol . Here is her letter....
" don't think your winters are as mild as ours here in Southern California. Note that the temperature must be above 57 degrees F at all times, including nights, for the larvae to develop. In addition to that, a mosquito must bite a HW infected dog first, take up microfilariae and actually manage to infect the next dog, so the whole indoor hatching story is a bit bogus, too. Non-infected mosquitoes do not transmit heartworm.

IMO you are fine giving during mosquito season only, and doing a heartworm test once yearly. I don't give anything and do testing only, and Quigley has never shown a positive result.

The seminar was great, both speakers made for a very interesting event.


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

Wow dave thats very interesting! I think I'm going to go with Interceptor and give it every 6 weeks instead of four. I know a few people who don't give heart worm preventatives or do any heart worm testing and they laugh at me for even considering it, but that's a whole other problem lol.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

whimsy said:


> I use Heartgard once a month chewable as my heartworm preventative. I use this year round.


That is what we do.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> Yeah Karen, I asked Sabine about temps here because my vet wanted to give year round. Sabine follows Jean Dodds protocol . Here is her letter....
> " don't think your winters are as mild as ours here in Southern California. Note that the temperature must be above 57 degrees F at all times, including nights, for the larvae to develop. In addition to that, a mosquito must bite a HW infected dog first, take up microfilariae and actually manage to infect the next dog, so the whole indoor hatching story is a bit bogus, too. Non-infected mosquitoes do not transmit heartworm.
> 
> IMO you are fine giving during mosquito season only, and doing a heartworm test once yearly. I don't give anything and do testing only, and Quigley has never shown a positive result.
> ...


Thanks for the clarification, Dave. Great to know!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

BTW, I only use flea and tick preventative every 6 weeks too... I started doing it just because it was clear at we didn't have flea or tick problems on that schedule. But then I talked to a vet friend, and she told me that the flea and tick meds DO remain effective for at least 6 weeks.


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

So does everybody use a different heart worm pill and then a different flea preventative?
Is frontline good or would a pill be better? Any thoughts?


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

we have used heartgaurd every month for worms since we brought Tillie home, I JUST treated her for the 1st time with frontline 2 days ago. I REALLY didn't want to, but was worried about fleas and needed to act quick. i would love to hear any other advice about any kind of holistic flea/tick treatments that work!!?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

here's some info. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?d=613&articleid=580


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Lumi, I use both frontline and heartguard. But this is the South and the mosquitos are as big as June Bugs, not really put there are many and no city or countrol for them. I lived in Southern California for years and only had them checked 1st a year. Here this winter they have been off since Dec but will most probably have to start back up in March. I think it is wise of you to put Ninja on a heart worm preventive, when dogs get heart worms the treatment is very painful for the dog and sometimes older dogs don't make it.


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## dbeech (Jun 16, 2009)

whimsy said:


> I use Heartgard once a month chewable as my heartworm preventative. I use this year round.


Living in Illinois, do you need to use Heartgard year around?


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

Thank you Dave and Robbie for the information  I think im going to switch to frontline and start using a heart worm preventative in April.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Lumi, I use Comfortis because the Frontline seemed to not work anymore down here in GA. My vet told me the last time that I was in that he has never had a dog have a reaction to it yet. I also use Heartgard every month being in the humid southeast we also have mosquitoes that will come out in the winter if the temps are mild for even a few days!


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

Kathie, I've never heard of Comfortis. I'll need to look that up. Do you put it on the skin or is it like a pill?


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

I forgot to add that it is a pill but only for fleas. We have woods around us but Abby stays in a fenced in area so we haven't had a tick problem here. She is light colored so easy to spot if she were to get one.


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