# Heartgard and Nextgard



## stephsu (Apr 27, 2020)

Hi, my vet mentioned that she would like Otto to take Heartgard and Nextgard. We do have mosquitos and a lot of ticks/Lyme in our area. Are these generally considered safe or is there something else you all recommend? Do you stop giving this in the winter? Thanks.


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## Vartina Ancrum (Oct 10, 2019)

Hi Stephanie,
I am glad to hear from you! I use Heartgard and never had any issues. I was using Nexgard but I am not sure if I plan to continue using it. We have ticks and fleas bad here in my area too. Definitely you will need the Heartgard for heartworm prevention. My daughter uses a spray for ticks/fleas because she is very health conscious and has concerns about putting chemicals into our bodies. But where she was staying is not a rural county like where I live.

A lot of flea/tick medications have adverse effects. The office manager who works in my vet's office suggested Simparica but even the commercial advertisement discusses the side effects of seizures. The person who suggested Simparica is not a vet or even vet technician so I totally ignored her. I am looking forward to some other opinions here on our forum.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

stephsu said:


> Hi, my vet mentioned that she would like Otto to take Heartgard and Nextgard. We do have mosquitos and a lot of ticks/Lyme in our area. Are these generally considered safe or is there something else you all recommend? Do you stop giving this in the winter? Thanks.


I would talk to Pam. (you have one of her dogs, right?) I know she ONLY recommends Interceptor. She and I both used HeartGard for the period of time when Interceptor was off the market (their facility burned down) but I worried every time I gave it and switched right back again as soon as possible.

I don't know much about Nextgard. Is that a feed-through? If so, I would not use it, personally. I use Advantix II because it is a repellent as well as killing ticks, and Kodi gets a HORRIBLE reaction to even being BITTEN by a tick. All other products require that the tick bite the animal to be effective. However, I use it VERY sparingly. My dogs typically only get two doses a year, only when ticks are at their very worst. The rest of the time, I am just VERY vigilant about tick removal after every outing.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Vartina Ancrum said:


> Hi Stephanie,
> I am glad to hear from you! I use Heartgard and never had any issues. I was using Nexgard but I am not sure if I plan to continue using it. We have ticks and fleas bad here in my area too. Definitely you will need the Heartgard for heartworm prevention. My daughter uses a spray for ticks/fleas because she is very health conscious and has concerns about putting chemicals into our bodies. But where she was staying is not a rural county like where I live.
> 
> A lot of flea/tick medications have adverse effects. The office manager who works in my vet's office suggested Simparica but even the commercial advertisement discusses the side effects of seizures. The person who suggested Simparica is not a vet or even vet technician so I totally ignored her. I am looking forward to some other opinions here on our forum.


You don't need Heartgard... You DO need to (probably) do something about heartworm... depending on where you live. There are a number of different products, though.


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## Vartina Ancrum (Oct 10, 2019)

Heartgard is for heartworm prevention and hookworms /roundworms. It is ingested. It's like a chew treat. In areas where mosquitos are bad, you will need some type of heartworm prevention. Various prevention will depend on the regions that you live in. For example, my daughter's vet doesn't recommend the same prevention for her dog because she is a "city girl". I live in a rural county with plenty of trees and deer. I am sure Pam will be able to give you some recommendations for Otto. Stephanie, please communicate to her that you live in an area with ticks and mosquitos. I don't know if you suffer from this year-long like Hot Carolina though.

I can say you want to avoid as many chemicals as you can. Some of these preventions are poison.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Vartina Ancrum said:


> Heartgard is for heartworm prevention and hookworms /roundworms. It is ingested. It's like a chew treat. In areas where mosquitos are bad, you will need some type of heartworm prevention. Various prevention will depend on the regions that you live in. For example, my daughter's vet doesn't recommend the same prevention for her dog because she is a "city girl". I live in a rural county with plenty of trees and deer. I am sure Pam will be able to give you some recommendations for Otto. Stephanie, please communicate to her that you live in an area with ticks and mosquitos. I don't know if you suffer from this year-long like Hot Carolina though.
> 
> I can say you want to avoid as many chemicals as you can. Some of these preventions are poison.


Yeah interceptor is also ingested like a chew (of course my dog won't take it like that so I have to cut it up and wrap the little pieces in cheese grrr) We don't have huge incidence of heartworm here, but we have mosquitos at my house. So we do it half the yr. Fleas we use topical stuff at the neck like advantage but I can't remember the name. I use 2-3 doses a year.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I give Scout and Truffles NexGard and Interceptor Plus monthly. The chews need to be wrapped in cheese for them to swallow it. We have a big problem with ticks here. My friends dog had heart worms and the treatment was difficult and expensive.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Vartina Ancrum said:


> Heartgard is for heartworm prevention and hookworms /roundworms. It is ingested. It's like a chew treat. In areas where mosquitos are bad, you will need some type of heartworm prevention. Various prevention will depend on the regions that you live in. For example, my daughter's vet doesn't recommend the same prevention for her dog because she is a "city girl". I live in a rural county with plenty of trees and deer. I am sure Pam will be able to give you some recommendations for Otto. Stephanie, please communicate to her that you live in an area with ticks and mosquitos. I don't know if you suffer from this year-long like Hot Carolina though.
> 
> I can say you want to avoid as many chemicals as you can. Some of these preventions are poison.


Interceptor is also a chewable heartworm preventative. It is absolutely the case that you need to use heartworm preventative approprate to where you live in the country. (Some people need to use it all year long, we use it for 6 months here in MA)


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## stephsu (Apr 27, 2020)

Thanks, everyone. I did email Pam for her opinion, I was just curious what you all do as well.


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## Vartina Ancrum (Oct 10, 2019)

Karen, you are fortunate. I guess our fleas, ticks, and mosquitos get confused here since it's like we never get a true winter. It's so hot here that our air conditioning is running almost non-stop and of course it's humid.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Knowing there is an alternative to Heartguard, I would never use it again. My biggest problem with it is that it is so hard to find reliable information. It took me almost a year to figure out that the biggest contributor to our puppy’s cyclical diarrhea was Heartgard. I brought it up with the other vet in the same office as our vet twice and he blew me off. I suspected it for a long time, though, and even when I searched online it was hard to find anything. Once I was sure it was the problem and mentioned it to our usual vet, he said we should do blood tests and if we decide to use a preventative in the future, we’ll use something else. Mosquito activity in our area isn’t common, but we live in sort of a microclimate right next to a lake where there is more activity, and our vet has seen enough cases that he initially recommended preventatives. I don’t know anyone outside of the couple of nearby neighborhoods that use them, even in the same town. It wasn’t really until after we stopped using it that I really started hearing more about the problems with it. 

If I was starting from scratch, I would want to know what my breeder recommends, how common infection is in my area and the time of year, and the medications options along with the advantages and risks of each.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

I use Heartgard Plus for Molly. She has never had a reaction and gobbles it up like it is the best thing she has ever tasted. I used Interceptor for years with my last dog and only switched when they took it off the market. My dog never chewed it though and I had to give it more like a pill. We use K9 Advantix II for fleas and ticks. I also like the fact that it repels as well as kills. I used to be able to take the colder months off from applying it but the warmer winters we have had lately in New York have made it necessary year round.


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## stephsu (Apr 27, 2020)

Thanks, Diane. I am also in NY and am wondering if I need to do it all year round or not. Will definitely ask about that.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Vartina Ancrum said:


> Karen, you are fortunate. I guess our fleas, ticks, and mosquitos get confused here since it's like we never get a true winter. It's so hot here that our air conditioning is running almost non-stop and of course it's humid.


It definitely depends on where you live!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I am not necessarily advocating Heartgard but there is a big difference between Heartgard and Heartgard Plus. Heartgard Plus has extra pesticides to kill worms other than heartworms. If someone wants to lessen the toxic load on their dog they could just use regular Heartgard, NOT the plus version. These other types of worms are more easily treated. In addition, if you really want to further lessen the toxic load, you can have a pharmacist compound ivermectin (active ingredient in Heartgard) at the lowest possible dose for the size of YOUR dog. For smaller dogs and puppies this could also help lessen the toxic load. Perhaps the active ingredient in Interceptor could also be compounded this way but I am not familiar with that.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Hemopet recently published the results of a survey on flea/tick pills.

https://hemopet.org/flea-tick-meds-project-jake-study/


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Per one of the top vets at the University of Missouri vet school, there are some resistant strains of heartworm in Missouri. The only preventative she says is effective against these strains is Advantage Multi. I am not sure about other areas of the country but this is what she says about Missouri. We take precautions here regardless of heartworm preventatives. My dogs are not allowed out at dawn and dusk, we avoid areas with standing water, we do not go into the woods during tick/mosquito season and we use non toxic topical repellents. I think it is important not to let drugs give us a false sense of security. It is only a matter of time before insects develop a resistance to something which is why they keep coming up with new drugs.


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## Boomer's mom (Apr 18, 2020)

I use Interceptor on Boomer (a Starborn puppy) because it can be dosed more appropriately for their weight. I use the 2-10 lb dosage. Heartgard does not have a product with this dosage. Haven't started any flea/tick meds....the reports scare me so I'm waiting until Boomer gets a little older and heavier. He is just now 20 weeks and around 9 pounds. It's too hot to play in the yard in Atlanta right now anyway...lol!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Boomer's mom said:


> I use Interceptor on Boomer (a Starborn puppy) because it can be dosed more appropriately for their weight. I use the 2-10 lb dosage. Heartgard does not have a product with this dosage. Haven't started any flea/tick meds....the reports scare me so I'm waiting until Boomer gets a little older and heavier. He is just now 20 weeks and around 9 pounds. It's too hot to play in the yard in Atlanta right now anyway...lol!


Yeah, I didn't use any flea/tick priducts on my puppies for their first season. I just protescted them from the possibilities. I didn't use Heartworm meds on Kodi in his first season either... but he was born late enough in the season that he didn't come home until the middle of July. So again, we were just really careful about mosquitoes that first season. He was so little... but we live in New England, where it is probably easier to avoid mosquitoes than further south.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

We’ll also skip flea/ tick/ heartworm for roxie this year. We have the vet tomorrow, where she’ll get 2nd vaccines, but I’m pretty sure he won’t offer those. It’s not really prevalent here and I’m not putting her down in grass by the river (too many unfamiliar dogs and not fully vaccinated anyway). Most of the outdoor places I’ve taken her to socialize I’ve held her since the Parvo scare. Oliver’s already had his last flea/ tick dose.


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## Jeanniek (Mar 20, 2018)

I give Zumba Heartguard. Every couple of months she gets the K9 Adventix, and, in between the Wondercide Flea and Tick spray that Pam recommended to me. I believe it is effective, but every time I put it on Zumba she goes around sneezing and trying to take the smell off.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

stephsu said:


> Hi, my vet mentioned that she would like Otto to take Heartgard and Nextgard. We do have mosquitos and a lot of ticks/Lyme in our area. Are these generally considered safe or is there something else you all recommend? Do you stop giving this in the winter? Thanks.


My daughter's Golden-doodle has taken those for years. My 2.5 year old Havanese has taken them since she was a puppy. We've never had a problem. If you stop Heartgard you need to have your dog tested for heartworms before starting them back on it. I stop giving flea and tick meds after the season but continue Heartgard. With all the anti-vaciner's misinformation these days it's made us all question the experts.

*WEBMD Separates Facts from Fiction*
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/heartworms-in-dogs-facts-and-myths#2


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jeanniek said:


> I give Zumba Heartguard. Every couple of months she gets the K9 Adventix, and, in between the Wondercide Flea and Tick spray that Pam recommended to me. I believe it is effective, but every time I put it on Zumba she goes around sneezing and trying to take the smell off.


I had the same problem when I tried it. Plus it made their coats feel very sticky. It made me feel like I needed to wash them after a walk when I'd used it. So even though I do believe that it repels insects, I stopped using it. It was just too unpleasant.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> My daughter's Golden-doodle has taken those for years. My 2.5 year old Havanese has taken them since she was a puppy. We've never had a problem. If you stop Heartgard you need to have your dog tested for heartworms before starting them back on it. I stop giving flea and tick meds after the season but continue Heartgard. With all the anti-vaciner's misinformation these days it's made us all question the experts.
> 
> *WEBMD Separates Facts from Fiction*
> https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/heartworms-in-dogs-facts-and-myths#2


A golden doodle is a much bigger dog, and neither breed is chemically sensitive. I am glad Patti is having no problems. Of course she is only 2 1/2, and CERTAINLY the MAJORITY of dogs are NOT going to have problems with these drugs.

No one in this conversation (that I've heard) is talking about leaving the dog unprotected. You are absolutely correct that if you stop heartworm meds for part of the year you MUST test before starting them back up. But MANY of us live in parts of the country where it is cold enough for a good part of the year that there is ZERO chance of mosquitos passing heartworm to dogs, even if there is a "warm spell" and they wake up for a week here or there. The temperatures have to remain warm 24 hours a day for a number of weeks before the microfillaria can be passed. You can reseach this yourself if you want. If you live in the south, there is no question, dogs need to be protected from heartworm year-round. If you live further north, the dangers of continuing to put chemicals into a small, chemically sensitive breed during a time of year when it is TOTALLY unnecessary and doing NOTHING for their health may be something people want to consider. If you want to do it just to line the drug manufacturer's pocket, you can do that. It is NOT benefitting your pet from Nov. through May in MA.

It has nothing to do with being an ani-vaxxer. It has everything to do with being well informed and making informed decisions for YOUR dog based on YOUR breed and location, not based on someone's annecdotal experience with a larger breed dog in another part of the country.

As far as the article is concerned, I think it is a pitiful excuse to keep an animal (or human) on unneeded drugs year round because the owner "might forget" when they do need them. That's right up there with you MUST neuter at at 6 months or you "might forget" and let your unspayed female get pregnant. Yeah, well... if you are that kind of owner, I guess you SHOULD keep your dog on heartworm meds year round... except that is EXACTLY the kind of owner who is going to end up with a pregnant dog with heartworm to start with, because they "forget" to go to a vet at all!

And as far as adopting a dog with heartworm... it is BECAUSE so many people have done that... adopting dogs from the deep south with heartworm and THEN getting them treated after adoption, that we now have the heartworm load in the mosquitoes here in New England that we have. Heartworm USED to be pretty much unheard of here until all these dogs started to be imported from the south.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Just because a dog does not have an immediate reaction to a drug does not mean that it is not causing some unseen damage that could show up long term. For example, say a person smokes a cigarette...are they going to get lung cancer the next day? What if they smoke 4 packs a day for years? I think most people agree that smoking is not good for our health, yet some people smoke all their life and never have a problem. Others may have a genetic disposition towards respiratory issues and smoking is likely to cause some issues.

A dog with a history of seizures must not take any flea tick preventative in the Nextgard class of drugs. Also dogs with the MDR1 gene are very drug sensitive and you have to be very careful with any individual drugs used as well as the interactions between various drugs. Typically dogs in the herding class are prone to the MDR1 mutation, however it supposedly can occur in any breed. There is a test for it now so that is good.

I think they typically test most flea tick drugs on beagles and I believe that are very tolerant of drugs.

IMO, drugs have their place but must be respected. Look at what has happened with the overuse of antibiotics. The bugs are becoming resistant. This will always happen which is why drugs like Frontline no longer work. Therefore, I believe it is critical to minimize their use as much as possible. I personally feel that a few ticks are not going to cause a problem for most dogs unless they are severely immune suppressed. Most dogs that test positive for Lyme never have any symptoms of the disease. This is true for ehrlichiosis as well. Therefore, everyone needs to weigh their own personally risk based upon where they live. Fleas are basically a nuisance and are easily prevented IMO but NOT easy to get rid of.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.285


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Like everything, the decision is up to the individual. I didn't give my other dogs Heartgard and never had one diagnosed with heartworms. Was I lucky? Maybe they didn't need it. It's like most things. If you don't give your dog Heartgard and they get heartworms, you'll wish you had. If you don't get vaccinated and come down with something preventable you wished you had. If you never get it, then that was the right decision. I didn't use to worry about a lot of things, that I now think about more.

Location. Location. Do you have ticks in the area? That's the major question.

I REPEAT ... There must be two threads about this issue.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> I had the same problem when I tried it. Plus it made their coats feel very sticky. It made me feel like I needed to wash them after a walk when I'd used it. So even though I do believe that it repels insects, I stopped using it. It was just too unpleasant.


I tried Wondercide too and it did not work for me. The strong smell drove my yorkie insane and he would go crazy and rub all over the walls and furniture. Yikes. I found the smell totally obnoxious also. I cannot even imagine how the smell is magnified by super sensitive canine noses! I have tried other natural stuff with essential oils and find them all to be the same way. I make my own homemade repellent. The dogs do not mind it and it works fairly well. The fur can get a bit sticky but if I brush them out daily it works fine. It also seems to condition the fur.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> I tried Wondercide too and it did not work for me. The strong smell drove my yorkie insane and he would go crazy and rub all over the walls and furniture. Yikes. I found the smell totally obnoxious also. I cannot even imagine how the smell is magnified by super sensitive canine noses! I have tried other natural stuff with essential oils and find them all to be the same way. I make my own homemade repellent. The dogs do not mind it and it works fairly well. The fur can get a bit sticky but if I brush them out daily it works fine. It also seems to condition the fur.


I think it's totally different if you have a dog in a puppy cut though, or a long coat. You build any of that stuff up in a long coat and it's a nightmare!


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

krandall said:


> Mikki said:
> 
> 
> > My daughter's Golden-doodle has taken those for years. My 2.5 year old Havanese has taken them since she was a puppy. We've never had a problem. If you stop Heartgard you need to have your dog tested for heartworms before starting them back on it. I stop giving flea and tick meds after the season but continue Heartgard. With all the anti-vaciner's misinformation these days it's made us all question the experts.
> ...


We do them for 6 months and test before restarting. It definitely freezes here. Though not like New England


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Melissa Woods said:


> We do them for 6 months and test before restarting. It definitely freezes here. Though not like New England


My vet here recommends twice a year testing if heartworm preventatives are not given year round. I personally think twice a year testing is best anyway. However, our area is probably higher risk than yours.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> I think it's totally different if you have a dog in a puppy cut though, or a long coat. You build any of that stuff up in a long coat and it's a nightmare!


Yes I can see that. One thing I have used is 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water. This is not sticky at all but may still be problematic for long coats.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Woods said:


> We do them for 6 months and test before restarting. It definitely freezes here. Though not like New England


It's not about freezing. it's about the number of days in a row above a certain temperature for 24 hours.

This is a pretty old article and temperatures HAVE increased. The article, however, is still valid. There are newer maps, but I didn't have time to look them up. Feel free to do the research yourself. But if you add a couple of weeks to either end of the range for your area, you are probably safe:

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


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

krandall said:


> It's not about freezing. it's about the number of days in a row above a certain temperature for 24 hours.
> 
> This is a pretty old article and temperatures HAVE increased. The article, however, is still valid. There are newer maps, but I didn't have time to look them up. Feel free to do the research yourself. But if you add a couple of weeks to either end of the range for your area, you are probably safe:
> 
> http://www.terrierman.com/heartworm-seasonality-knight-LOK.pdf


Ah ok. It says 4 months for our area. My vet said 6 months was adequate for heartworm meds, and 3 for the flea/ tick topical. The cases here are low, according to the map, but my vet occasionally throws out comments like, well you don't really need these as much for indoor dogs. And yes, they are indoor, but I think he has the idea that they lounge around on our laps all the time. I told him no, we take them hiking. To the green belt. They can walk several miles a day, etc LOL.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

SORRY I am late to the party. We have fleas and ticks year round in our area, especially in the wetlands with the trail system. Mosquitoes are a seasonal issue. What complicates the issue for us is that we take Ricky to tropical Baja California with us a couple of times a year and we have fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes year round there. Ricky's Vet insists we give heartworm and flea/tick medicine monthly, year round. Ricky gets a heartworm test once a year (he has never had heartworms).

We use Interceptor Plus chewables. Ricky thinks they are candy. He will start doing tricks on his own when I merely start to open the package. He will roll over and then sit pretty without me saying anything. Crazy dog.

We use Advantiix II for flea/ticks. No problem if we use it regularly. BUT, I forgot to give it to him at the beginning of this month because I was distracted with other issues. We noticed yesterday that he has a "hot spot" on his rear leg, probably caused by a flea bite. :frusty: This is unusual but predictable if we don't keep on top of things. We're treating it now and he will be okay.

Ricky's Popi


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Woods said:


> Ah ok. It says 4 months for our area. My vet said 6 months was adequate for heartworm meds, and 3 for the flea/ tick topical. The cases here are low, according to the map, but my vet occasionally throws out comments like, well you don't really need these as much for indoor dogs. And yes, they are indoor, but I think he has the idea that they lounge around on our laps all the time. I told him no, we take them hiking. To the green belt. They can walk several miles a day, etc LOL.


Our area says 4 months and I do 6 in an abundance of caution, with the warming and unpredictable climate. I know other very knowledgeable people in our area who do less, but I dose on a 6 week schedule, so 6 months is really only 4 doses a year, and I fel comfortable with that.


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## Orius (Jan 20, 2020)

I live in NE Iowa, and have a great deal of confidence in our vet. He recommended both Hartgard and Nexgard, and Orius has had no issues with either. I hope this helps!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Maybe it’s because I skimmed the article, but why test 2x a year if using heartworm prevention? Our vet has us test in March in case we decided to go back on for the summer. I thought we weren’t due for another test for a year, again at the same time of year in case we decide to resume preventatives. Without medication, how often should tests occur?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> Maybe it's because I skimmed the article, but why test 2x a year if using heartworm prevention? Our vet has us test in March in case we decided to go back on for the summer. I thought we weren't due for another test for a year, again at the same time of year in case we decide to resume preventatives. Without medication, how often should tests occur?


I don't undertand the rationale for testing twice a year either, except maybe if you are in the deep south. The way heartworm meds work is they don't truly "prevent" heartworm. TheyKILL microfilaria in the bloodstream before they can morph into the more dangerous heartworms. Perhaps it's because in some areas there is a danger of some getting by the heartworm meds and infecting the dog anyway? Not sure. We only test in the spring, before starting back up.

We test twice a year for TBD's.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> I don't undertand the rationale for testing twice a year either, except maybe if you are in the deep south. The way heartworm meds work is they don't truly "prevent" heartworm. TheyKILL microfilaria in the bloodstream before they can morph into the more dangerous heartworms. Perhaps it's because in some areas there is a danger of some getting by the heartworm meds and infecting the dog anyway? Not sure. We only test in the spring, before starting back up.
> 
> We test twice a year for TBD's.


Per my vet the reasoning for testing twice a year are 1) some heartworm strains are becoming resistant to the heartworm drugs (true in Missouri for sure where I live), 2) there is always a chance the dog vomited up a pill that the owner didn't know about in which case he was not protected for that month, 3) since heartworm is so difficult to treat, the sooner you know about it the better and 4) if stopping for the winter it is safest to know beforehand if the dog is infected since preventatives kill "after the fact".

Missouri is a little more high risk than some places and we have resistant strains of heartworm here that supposedly can only be killed by Advantage Multi. I think this is why vets are trying to play it safe.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

We are in Florida(Tampa Bay) and I've never had a vet suggest twice a year testing. No one I know gets tested twice a year. Lots of dogs in my hood. One neighbor who refuses to use medications for her dogs(she has 2), both of them got heartworm after a camping trip somewhere.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Tere said:


> We are in Florida(Tampa Bay) and I've never had a vet suggest twice a year testing. No one I know gets tested twice a year. Lots of dogs in my hood. One neighbor who refuses to use medications for her dogs(she has 2), both of them got heartworm after a camping trip somewhere.


Maybe you've said earlier on this thread but I'm asking, _do you give your dog Heartgard throughout the year? _I've never had a vet suggest testing "twice a year," however, I've been told if you take them off of Heargard you should have them tested before putting them back on.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Mikki said:


> Maybe you've said earlier on this thread but I'm asking, _do you give your dog Heartgard throughout the year? _I've never had a vet suggest testing "twice a year," however, I've been told if you take them off of Heargard you should have them tested before putting them back on.


I use Sentinel, not Heartgard, for heartworm/flea, 12 months of the year. Get tested every 12 months.
I could see that if you stop that you would need to get retested before restarting.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Tere said:


> I use Sentinel, not Heartgard, for heartworm/flea, 12 months of the year. Get tested every 12 months.
> I could see that if you stop that you would need to get retested before restarting.


Why do you need to test every 12 months if the dog is on Sentinel all year?


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Tere said:


> I use Sentinel, not Heartgard, for heartworm/flea, 12 months of the year. Get tested every 12 months.
> I could see that if you stop that you would need to get retested before restarting.


I do not know what other vets say here. I only know that mine suggests twice a year testing. It is a cheap non invasive test so I just do what they say. I take mine in twice a year anyway for exams since they are older so it is not an inconvenience to me. I wonder too if there is concern about test accuracy and they just want to be extra careful. I know someone who adopted an older dog from southern Missouri. The owner had the dog tested for heartworms and it was negative so my friend adopted it. A few months later the dog was having fainting spells and turns out it has heartworms. Anyway, this is most likely very unusual but did happen to my friend.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> Why do you need to test every 12 months if the dog is on Sentinel all year?


I think they suggest testing once a year because so many people forget to GIVE the pills, and also because they are seeing pockets of resistence to the medications. It is MUCH easier on the dogs to treat before they are symtomatic, before there is likely any long-term damage.

I still don't understand the twice a year testing unless it is specific to Mudpuppymamma's specific area.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Here is an article by Karen Becker explaining why dogs in certain areas should be tested twice a year.

Key takeaway -

"I like to run the SNAP-4Dx every six months on dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors during warmer weather. The reason I do tests every six months is because parasites are becoming resistant to heartworm and flea/tick chemicals. The sooner we identify an infection in your pet, the sooner a protocol can be instituted to safely treat it with fewer long-term side effects.

If you live in the midwest or the east coast of the U.S., it's a good idea early in the year and at the end of pest season to check for these illnesses, which can be resistant to preventives and are relatively easy to treat and cure when they're identified before they create chronic disease."

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2018/10/21/heartworm-dogs.aspx

Just cannot resist adding...just because most vets say annual testing is sufficient does not mean that is the correct thing to do. Some of those also recommend annual vaccines.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

I agree with Karen's take on this. Also, I think that it is also possible that even though you have given your dog a pill/chew, it is possible that it actually did not go inside them. Mine have always been little devils about not actually swallowing and hiding the pill in their whiskers. I always hold the dog after to make sure that they don't go somewhere and spit it out then I check the mouth to make sure it is gone. 
My boys are very sneaky about this stuff. They all have tried to pull this fast one on this old lady.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

mudpuppymama said:


> Here is an article by Karen Becker explaining why dogs in certain areas should be tested twice a year.
> 
> Key takeaway -
> 
> ...


To add to Karen Becker's advice.

I guess it comes down to the area you live in and how much trust you put in the preventatives. Many top vets are saying that heartworms and ticks are becoming resistant to the preventatives. The preventatives most likely help a lot but they are not perfect. I know many dogs with ehrlichia that are on flea/tick preventatives. That is because ehrlichia is transmitted very quickly and the preventatives cannot kill the ticks fast enough to prevent the disease from being transmitted. I will continue to follow Karen Becker's advice and test my dogs twice and year for both heartworm and tick borne diseases. If my dog gets one of these diseases, I want to catch it as early as possible. It is a cheap simple non invasive test. I cannot think of any reason NOT to do it. However, everyone needs to decide what is best for them based upon the risk in their area.


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## Vartina Ancrum (Oct 10, 2019)

I am sorry to hear this about your neighbor's dogs. Treating heartworms is expensive and time-consuming. It's best to use prevention. In South Carolina, a dog is tested once a year for heartworms unless you are switching vets. If you are changing doctors then each vet wants their own test results. Well at least in my region of SC.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> To add to Karen Becker's advice.
> 
> I guess it comes down to the area you live in and how much trust you put in the preventatives. Many top vets are saying that heartworms and ticks are becoming resistant to the preventatives. The preventatives most likely help a lot but they are not perfect. I know many dogs with ehrlichia that are on flea/tick preventatives. That is because ehrlichia is transmitted very quickly and the preventatives cannot kill the ticks fast enough to prevent the disease from being transmitted. I will continue to follow Karen Becker's advice and test my dogs twice and year for both heartworm and tick borne diseases. If my dog gets one of these diseases, I want to catch it as early as possible. It is a cheap simple non invasive test. I cannot think of any reason NOT to do it. However, everyone needs to decide what is best for them based upon the risk in their area.


Well, to be clear, it's a blood test, so NOT completely non-invasive. 

But I agree completely that I check twice a year for TBD... they are WAY too prevalent in my neck of the woods. However, I checked for Heartworm in my state and we had FIVE cases last year in the entire state... and all were rescues brought up from the south, already infected. Heartworm just isn't a big problem up here. I STILL want my dogs protected during the warm months because mosquitoes DO carry it... partially BECAUSE of all these rescues. But I don't see the need for twice a year testing on that one. If there is an uptick in cases, I'll feel differently.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Vartina Ancrum said:


> I am sorry to hear this about your neighbor's dogs. Treating heartworms is expensive and time-consuming. It's best to use prevention. In South Carolina, a dog is tested once a year for heartworms unless you are switching vets. If you are changing doctors then each vet wants their own test results. Well at least in my region of SC.


Miserable for the dog too. My son's Treewalker came to him with Heartworm (he knew that when he adopted him... shelter paid for the treatment) but it was heartbreaking watching him suffer through the treatment.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> Well, to be clear, it's a blood test, so NOT completely non-invasive.
> 
> But I agree completely that I check twice a year for TBD... they are WAY too prevalent in my neck of the woods. However, I checked for Heartworm in my state and we had FIVE cases last year in the entire state... and all were rescues brought up from the south, already infected. Heartworm just isn't a big problem up here. I STILL want my dogs protected during the warm months because mosquitoes DO carry it... partially BECAUSE of all these rescues. But I don't see the need for twice a year testing on that one. If there is an uptick in cases, I'll feel differently.


It is definitely about risk and where you live. I believe my vet does the 4D snap test which tests for heartworm as well as tick borne diseases. Therefore, no additional blood is necessary for testing for heartworm. I do full blood tests anyway on my dogs twice a year. I started that long ago when I decided to feed homemade because I wanted to make sure I was not harming them. They are also seniors so I think it is good to do blood tests twice a year. However, others may think this is unnecessary. Point is that for me testing for heartworm is no extra effort.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> It is definitely about risk and where you live. I believe my vet does the 4D snap test which tests for heartworm as well as tick borne diseases. Therefore, no additional blood is necessary for testing for heartworm. I do full blood tests anyway on my dogs twice a year. I started that long ago when I decided to feed homemade because I wanted to make sure I was not harming them. They are also seniors so I think it is good to do blood tests twice a year. However, others may think this is unnecessary. Point is that for me testing for heartworm is no extra effort.


Sure. If they are getting bloodwork done anyway, it's easy peasy!


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## bpentino (Mar 23, 2020)

I am so glad you posted this question! We have been struggling with this for the past year. Our dog has lost fur on his hips at various times of the year and he had a lot of itching in the Spring (eyelashes gone and are now growing back). The breeder cautioned against Heartguard & Nextguard while the vet was totally for preventatives. We have had him on Heartguard for part of the year. Here in N. VA we have ticks & mosquitoes. But, we have cold Winters so it kills things off. 

For ticks & mosquitoes, our breeder recommended Earth Animal Our Nature’s Protection™ Flea & Tick Daily Herbal Internal Powder (yeast free), which you add to their food. Considering what the vet said we have tried other things on top of that. We tried Anvantix II. We did find a tick on him and removed it immediately. Then he developed the missing fur on his hips. There was concern with mange so the vet suggested Revolution. December came and we stopped & the fur cleared up. Missing fur showed up on 1 hip in late Feb. and again with Revolution. But, this doesn't provide full protection. The vet suggested the Seresto collar since I didn't want to do Nextguard. But, the collar seemed to tangle the hair around the neck We stopped that & will not be doing that again. Mind you we also were changing his food around. 

After he had a gastrointestinal issue and got fixed, we changed his food from the Stella & Chewy Kibble to their dinner patties and what a difference. Less itching & he slimmed down. It has been hard to tell what could be allergy & what is related to the preventative. Now that we seem to be settled with the food, we are seeing if & how Nextguard affects him. We'll use that up and I think we'll go back to the Advantix II. I guess I rather it go on him than in him. That's been our experience so far ....


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## Tategigot (Aug 13, 2019)

I am using both with my havanese. Previously I used these with my Japanese spaniel. My experience is the topical flea / tick products were not effective with the dense coat of the Japanese spaniel . We have a lot of ticks here, so when I got Tate I started him on Nextgard. Tate has been completely tick free .


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## Faithb (Aug 18, 2020)

Hi Tere, I live in Venice FL, not far from you. I will be getting my Puppy next weekend so don’t have experience with the Havanese breed and medications, however, my 13 yr old boxer who passed in June was on both Heartgard and Nextgard with no ill effects.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Hi Faith, I wish you were closer, we could have play dates IF it ever stops raining! Where are you getting your puppy from? A Florida breeder? Oh, this is exciting! Maybe Shadow will have a distant relative on the forum! He is a Sunshine Havanese, bred by Kathy Kosich and is the sweetest little boy!
I've had Bichons (several) and Shadow is my first Havanese. It seems like little dogs have issues with Heartgard more than bigger dogs. I wonder why and am not sure of the reason. 
I hope to see many pictures of your new arrival!


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## Faithb (Aug 18, 2020)

Hi Tere, It is a shame that we do not live closer. Perhaps one day we can meet somewhere in the middle. Desi is from Honor Havanese in Summerfield, Florida and he is finally coming home next Saturday. Our 13 year old Female boxer, Annie, passed on June 5th and I have been lost without her. She was my constant companion and loved to snuggle. It took a while to find a puppy but I learned that most of the reputable breeders know one another and sometimes introduce a new dog in their line. Who knows, our pups just might be related after all! Have you ever visited the Havanese Gallery website? I was able to find Desi’s Pedigree there including many pictures. Glad to meet another Floridian Havanese owner!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Shadow's father was GCH Honor His Words are Printed in Red. I am going to guess that our boys have the same father! How exciting! I am going to try to PM but it doesn't always work!


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## Faithb (Aug 18, 2020)

You guessed correctly. Desi’s father is GCH Honor His Words are Printed in Red and his mother is California Girl. That makes our boys half siblings! 🤭


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## wanna_be (Aug 12, 2007)

I have always given Heartgard and Nexgard to my dogs. This year however my vet recommended Sympirica and Interceptor. No reactions to either of the pills and he was eager to take them without coaxing or hiding them, just as if he thought they were a treat. I found that the years he took Heartgard and Nexgard he was always lethargic for the day. Not so with the new medications.


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## Maya2019 (May 17, 2019)

*Sentinel and NExgard*

I have a almost 3 year old Havanese. My dog lives in an apartment building and she's the only dog in the building. She is only exposed to other dogs if I leave her on doggy day care about 3 times per week. What heartworm and tick and fleas medication is the safest for a low exposure dog to mosquitos and dogs? She does go outside for walks but we live in a city like area.

I don't want to overmedicate her. 
How many times a year should she get tested for heartwork and fecal testing?

thanks


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Heartworm medication requires a prescription from your vet. They will give you a prescription for one year at a time. When I bring Molly in for her annual check up they will do a blood test to make sure she is heart worm free. My vet also requires that a stool sample is brought in at this visit. The only other time I have her stool checked is if she is having GI issues with diarrhea and we need to rule out parasites as the cause. I consider Molly a "low exposure" dog but she is on monthly flea, tick and heart worm meds year round. I would have this discussion with your vet because they will know what is best for your circumstances and area that you live in. You can research different options on your own first to familiarize yourself and have some questions ready for your vet.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Maya2019 said:


> I have a almost 3 year old Havanese. My dog lives in an apartment building and she's the only dog in the building. She is only exposed to other dogs if I leave her on doggy day care about 3 times per week. What heartworm and tick and fleas medication is the safest for a low exposure dog to mosquitos and dogs? She does go outside for walks but we live in a city like area.
> 
> I don't want to overmedicate her.
> How many times a year should she get tested for heartwork and fecal testing?
> ...


so you would want to talk to your vet about the area you live in and this info on exposure. then you can make an educated decision based on all that. the only thing I want to add is that dogs cannot get heart worm from other dogs. they can only get it from being bitten from a mosquito. Fleas are another story, of course!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Melissa Woods said:


> so you would want to talk to your vet about the area you live in and this info on exposure. then you can make an educated decision based on all that. the only thing I want to add is that dogs cannot get heart worm from other dogs. they can only get it from being bitten from a mosquito. Fleas are another story, of course!


Although dogs get heartworms from mosquitoes, there has to be another heartworm positive dog in the vicinity for the mosquito to get it from, which then can be passed on to your dog. Therefore, the number of potentially heartworm positive dogs that a dog is exposed to indirectly impacts risk. As far as testing, I test mine twice a year because I am in a high risk area. As far as fleas, I use no preventatives and mine have never had fleas in twelve years. As long as you vacuum often and keep areas cleaned where the dog sleeps this will greatly reduce the risk of fleas. Even if they get a couple fleas, it is unlikely that you will get an infestation as long as you vacuum regularly and keep the bedding clean.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Oh I suppose that makes sense. My vet just meant my dog was not going to get heart worm from being around another dog.


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## Vartina Ancrum (Oct 10, 2019)

I am using Sentinel now. I used to use Heartgard but I am trying something different. I am afraid of Sympirica because of the disclaimers even on the tv advertisement (it is linked to seizures). However, I think you and your vet should communicate and come up with the best solution for your family and your region. Some members here have high infestations while others don't. There is no one med fits all.


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