# Heart Guard / Front Line



## m&m mom (Sep 27, 2014)

Please give me details!!

Heart Guard : Do I need to give it to her? If yes, once a month, year round?

Front Line : Does she need this? Once a month? Year round?? (We live in Wisconsin.)

I have started researching and talking to the breeder and vet but would like your opinions. Thanks!


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I live in the Chicago area. I use frontline plus on Whimsy until we have had a couple of hard frosts. I generally stop during the winter and start up again end of March of first part of April. I use Heartgard year round. This is on the recommendation of my Vet, whom I trust completely. I have never had any problems with either medication.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

We also use Heartguard year round. I discontinue flea meds during the coldest months here, usually December through March, and start them up again in April.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Where we live, I only need to give Heartguard for about 6 months of the year, but every region is different. It depends on the amount of the year that mosquitoes are around and also how warm it is. Below a certain temperature, the disease cannot develop inside the mosquitoes.

Here is an article that includes maps showing suggested start/stop times for Heartworm meds by state:

http://www.terrierman.com/heartworm-seasonality-knight-LOK.pdf

The article is fairly old, and I've seen newer maps, but I can't find them right now. Even though they only suggest July-Nov. for my state, MA, I have erred on the side of safety, and start June 1 (after a heartworm test) and end Dec. 1. Also, remember that heatworm "preventatives" don't "prevent" infection, they prevent disease. They work by killing any microfilaria present in the dog's system before they can develop into dangerous heartworms. For this reason, you are treating "behind"&#8230; i.e., the dose you give kills any microfilaria currently in the dog's system. It does NOT keep them from being bitten/infected during the next 30-45 days.

Because it takes over 50 days for any microfilaria to develop in to the larval stage inside the dog, treating with Heartworm meds on a 45 day schedule is perfectly adequate *IF YOU NEVER FORGET!!!* The reason the manufacturers suggest monthly is that it is easier for people to remember that way. I mark my calendar, and am VERY careful not to let the date slide, because it is important to me to give my dog the least amount of chemicals possible while still fully protecting him from disease.

Flea and tick products work differently. They repel and/or kill fleas and/or ticks. It depends a lot on where you live which products will work. In some areas, the fleas have become resistant to certain flea and tick products. It also depends on whether fleas or ticks are the larger problem. In the south, people battle fleas year round. Where I live, it is a seasonal "problem", and honestly, there has only been one time when I've found any fleas on Kodi in 5 1/2 years, and that was after a trip to the south. We DO have fleas around here, but I can manage them by bathing him weekly and washing his all his bedding in hot water at the same time he is bathed. (I wipe down his crates with disinfectant at the same time) The one time we did get fleas, on top of my regular routine, I dusted the rugs and all the places he likes to hang out with Sentry Natural Defense, a natural herbal product. Later in the day, I vacuumed the powder up, then emptied the vacuum into a sealed plastic bag. No harsh chemicals and the only lasting effect was that my house smelled like the spice cabinet for a few days! 

Ticks are a different story, and a REAL problem in our area, as they carry multiple diseases. In our area most dogs are positive for Lyme before they turn 3. Knock on wood, I seem to be doing something right, because Kodi still is negative. He gets groomed thoroughly daily, and, of course, any ticks I find are removed. It is generally thought that ticks need to be attached and sucking blood for 24 hours before they can pass disease. So quick removal of ticks is imperative. While I don't LIKE to use chemical flea/tick products, when ticks are at their worst, (when I see ticks on him more than a couple of times in the same week) I do treat him with Advantix, which is the only product that both repels AND kills ticks. (most products require the tick to bite the dog in order to kill them) Then I won't treat him again until/unless I see signs of ticks again. At bad tick times of year, even Advantix doesn't completely prevent them, so it's still up to me to make sure they are removed FREQUENTLY. During these times, I also spray him with Sentry Natural Defense coat spray if we will be walking in the woods or, especially, areas with high grass.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

I dont do heartworm on either of my dogs. If they were chained up outside 24/7 next to standing water I might, but since they live indoors I have weighed the risks and made my own decision. I do get the dogs tested, at least once a year.

Something I noticed from reading the healthy pets:

https://www.heartwormsociety.org/about/sponsors

Fleas and ticks are another story and you have to do what is appropriate for your area.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

SJ1998 said:


> I dont do heartworm on either of my dogs. If they were chained up outside 24/7 next to standing water I might, but since they live indoors I have weighed the risks and made my own decision. I do get the dogs tested, at least once a year.
> 
> Something I noticed from reading the healthy pets:
> 
> ...


Even in Florida, there are areas that are worse than others, and as you mention, a lot of the exposure risk is related to mosquitoes... If you can avoid those, your dog is at much lower risk. I agree that it's something each person has to weigh for themselves.

Last year, I believe there were only 200 and some cases of Positive heartworm test (different from active disease) in MA. So thePERCENTAGE is actually very low. However, the treatment is very hard, and if you have one of the unlucky dogs, that need treatment, often the dogs are not returned to normal heart/lung function even after treatment. I do sports with my dog, and it is very important that his heart and lungs remain in good shape. He is NOT a lap dog who can do just fine with some loss of function. So for this reason, although I HATE the chemicals, for us, preventative given for as short a time each year and as far apart as is safe is the best option.

The important thing is for people to really do their homework and make INFORMED decisions for their dogs, weighing all risk factors!


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

I wonder if the medication itself has any impact on heart/lungs? If I were you I would ask the vets at Tufts what they think. 

I noticed a difference in my lab when I took him off the heartworm medication. That is how I eventually came to the decision to take him off. I used to give it to him monthly, then I went to six weeks. He used to get ear infections so I started tracking what was going on to try to isolate why he was getting them. I noticed that it was always after the heartworm. I started reading up on the medication and read about the heartworm life cycle. The chances seemed so remote I decided I would stop the heartworm and see what happened. He stopped getting ear infections. He hasnt had once since and he swims from time to time. I get the test done at least once a year, sometimes twice. 

In Florida, you are made to feel like an awful person if you dont give your dog heartworm, even though no one knows any dogs that get it, other than some rescue cases where the dogs were severely neglected.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

SJ1998 said:


> I wonder if the medication itself has any impact on heart/lungs? If I were you I would ask the vets at Tufts what they think.
> 
> I noticed a difference in my lab when I took him off the heartworm medication. That is how I eventually came to the decision to take him off. I used to give it to him monthly, then I went to six weeks. He used to get ear infections so I started tracking what was going on to try to isolate why he was getting them. I noticed that it was always after the heartworm. I started reading up on the medication and read about the heartworm life cycle. The chances seemed so remote I decided I would stop the heartworm and see what happened. He stopped getting ear infections. He hasnt had once since and he swims from time to time. I get the test done at least once a year, sometimes twice.
> 
> In Florida, you are made to feel like an awful person if you dont give your dog heartworm, even though no one knows any dogs that get it, other than some rescue cases where the dogs were severely neglected.


I have friends who are vets trained at Tufts, used to work at Tufts. (As well as a friend who is an Idexx vet). They saty with the party line that dogs should be on heartworm meds year round. Fortunately, Kodi's vet is part of a holistic practice, and willing to work with clients who want a more cautious approach. Of course, it is still ultimately my decision, but what my vet advises is also in line with what I have read about possible exposure in my area. And Kodi IS often in the woods, in areas where there are mosquitoes. If I saw signs that the Heartgard was in some way causing illness to my dog, I would certainly weigh that into the equation. But in Kodi's case, I haven't seen anything that makes me think that it is. I STILL want to keep exposure to all chemicals as low as possible, just as I do for my whole family. But I also want to protect him from the exposure to both the disease itself and the much more toxic chemicals if he WERE to become infected.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

I use Revolution year round, unfortunately it's the only medication that doesn't contain beef otherwise I would stop the flea during the winter months.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

krandall said:


> I have friends who are vets trained at Tufts, used to work at Tufts. (As well as a friend who is an Idexx vet). They saty with the party line that dogs should be on heartworm meds year round. Fortunately, Kodi's vet is part of a holistic practice, and willing to work with clients who want a more cautious approach. Of course, it is still ultimately my decision, but what my vet advises is also in line with what I have read about possible exposure in my area. And Kodi IS often in the woods, in areas where there are mosquitoes. If I saw signs that the Heartgard was in some way causing illness to my dog, I would certainly weigh that into the equation. But in Kodi's case, I haven't seen anything that makes me think that it is. I STILL want to keep exposure to all chemicals as low as possible, just as I do for my whole family. But I also want to protect him from the exposure to both the disease itself and the much more toxic chemicals if he WERE to become infected.


My holistic vet advises to use heartworm protection on the six week protocol. My conventional vet, oddly, is not convinced on the effectiveness of the preventatives. Their office still advises using it though.

Does Kodi ever get ear infections? That's really the one thing I noticed with my lab when he was on it.


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## m&m mom (Sep 27, 2014)

littlebuddy said:


> I use Revolution year round, unfortunately it's the only medication that doesn't contain beef otherwise I would stop the flea during the winter months.


I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. What does beef have to do with it?


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

The heartguard chew has beef in it and the OP's dog is sensitive to beef. The revolution is a topical for fleas and heartworms combined so they can't stop the flea meds separately.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Sorry, forgot to mention Django has a beef allergy.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

SJ1998 said:


> My holistic vet advises to use heartworm protection on the six week protocol. My conventional vet, oddly, is not convinced on the effectiveness of the preventatives. Their office still advises using it though.
> 
> Does Kodi ever get ear infections? That's really the one thing I noticed with my lab when he was on it.


No, not really. He has had two in his life both yeast infections.


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## Nanegge (Jan 27, 2014)

krandall said:


> I have friends who are vets trained at Tufts, used to work at Tufts. (As well as a friend who is an Idexx vet). They saty with the party line that dogs should be on heartworm meds year round. Fortunately, Kodi's vet is part of a holistic practice, and willing to work with clients who want a more cautious approach. Of course, it is still ultimately my decision, but what my vet advises is also in line with what I have read about possible exposure in my area. And Kodi IS often in the woods, in areas where there are mosquitoes. If I saw signs that the Heartgard was in some way causing illness to my dog, I would certainly weigh that into the equation. But in Kodi's case, I haven't seen anything that makes me think that it is. I STILL want to keep exposure to all chemicals as low as possible, just as I do for my whole family. But I also want to protect him from the exposure to both the disease itself and the much more toxic chemicals if he WERE to become infected.


I have been reading your entries and am grateful for the wisdom of your responses and respect your opinion. When we had our beloved Max he was on Frontline and Heartgard. As a nurse, I am very leary of chemicals, so I used the Frontline only from April to November, and the same for the Heartgard. My vet feels both should be used year round. Now, with my 12 month old Bailey, the vet has started her on (from 6 mos) Revolution, having both products in one. I have used it, but I am not completely at ease. The vet would like me to continue year round. If you would be so kind, what are your thoughts on the product Revolution? I have thought about going back to the Frontline and Heartgard combo so I can stop them in the winter months. Her heartworm test would be done before I restarted the Heartgard in April. Our time is divided between MA and Bar Harbor, ME, so the winter months are cold.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

I don't like any of these medications. Unfortunately my dog has a reaction to the Revolution, it hits him like a ton of bricks and he's out of it for the day. I have had conversations with multiple vets and they all concur that dogs need to be on these medications. I did try separating the two, I found a heartworm pill that was safe however it made my dog very sick so, back to the Revolution.

He's almost 11 now and has Addisons along with other health issues and that could be why he doesn't do well the day of application. I have a close friend whose dog god heartworm last year and let me tell you, it was horrible. I don't think my dog would survive the intense treatment so for me, I am sticking with the Revolution, it's a constant struggle for me on what to do.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Nanegge said:


> I have been reading your entries and am grateful for the wisdom of your responses and respect your opinion. When we had our beloved Max he was on Frontline and Heartgard. As a nurse, I am very leary of chemicals, so I used the Frontline only from April to November, and the same for the Heartgard. My vet feels both should be used year round. Now, with my 12 month old Bailey, the vet has started her on (from 6 mos) Revolution, having both products in one. I have used it, but I am not completely at ease. The vet would like me to continue year round. If you would be so kind, what are your thoughts on the product Revolution? I have thought about going back to the Frontline and Heartgard combo so I can stop them in the winter months. Her heartworm test would be done before I restarted the Heartgard in April. Our time is divided between MA and Bar Harbor, ME, so the winter months are cold.


Like you, as you know, I want my dog OFF those toxic chemicals in the winter, when there is no (or low) danger of infection. It is, of course, still possible to pick up fleas in the winter, from other dogs or places where other dogs or cats have been. But fleas are pretty easy to control/eradicate in the north s long as you stay on top of things. And while they are a nuisance, they don't spread disease the way ticks and mosquitoes do.

Personally, I NEVER used combination products. If there is a bad reaction, you don't have any idea which chemical caused the reaction. Also, in the case of Revolution, Kodi has a close relative who had an EXTREMELY severe neurological reaction to it. To the point that he couldn't eat or swallow and had to be hand fed for months. It took him years to fully recover. As a result, my breeder specifically warns puppy buyers against this specific medication.

That is NOT to say that every dog will have a reaction like that&#8230; obviously, many dogs take it and are OK or it wouldn't be on the market. But if a close relative has a know reaction, of course it is wise to be cautious.

But even if it weren't for that, as I said, I avoid "combo" meds like the plague&#8230; whether it is for my animals or my family.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Scout and Truffles have been on Revolution monthly without any side effects. I want to protect them, but I am concerned about applying chemicals. This month I have decided to only give them Heartgard.


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