how long do we have to give heart worm medication for dogs?
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at
2:25 pm
Hi friends
I have a new dog and the doctor has asked me to give some medicine for preventing heart worm once in a month. Do we have to keep giving this for all his life?
What are the side effects of giving this medicine for a long period of time? He is like my own kid and so I am little worried.
I would appreciate any feedback from other pet owners.
Thanks
Ram
Tagged with: heart worm • hi friends • medicine • period of time • pet owners
Yup! Once a month for as long as they live! I’ve never seen any adverse reactions in my many years. You want to be very sure they get the pill during the mosquito months.
Yes, heart worm medication is a once-a-month for life medication.
It depends on your climate. For those of us that have colder winters, we have the choice of keeping it going all year or we can stop for the winter. But yes, it is every month for the dog’s entire life.
Most of the heartworm meds also have de-wormers for other types as well. This is completely safe and is one of the better things you can invest in for your dog. Different kinds of worm infestations can cause different levels of issues for the dogs. Heartworm is one of the more deadly so it is imperative that you make sure the dog never get it. I am sure you vaccinate your own child to keep them safe as you really never know /can control what they come in contact with. This is the same idea for a dog.
Heartworm preventative has to be given for the life of the dog. Depending on where you live & what your vet recommends, it may be possible to discontinue heartworm preventative during cold winter months when mosquitos that transmit heartworm, are dead or dormant. Heartworm preventative also protects against many kinds of intestinal parasites, so for that reason alone it is beneficial to give to your dog year round. While some dogs and certain breeds can have a reaction to some heartworm preventatives (some collies can have a sensitivity to ivermectin, the ingredient in Heartgard), for the most part it is very safe, much safer than having your dog contract heartworms and undergoing the treatment for heartworm.
Heart worm treatment is forever. My guys sometimes have a little stomach upset right after the treatment but as far as I know there are no long time effects.
Generally, once a month from the last frost of the year, through summer, until the first hard frost of the year. This varies quite a bit depending on where you live. If you do stop giving the medication for any amount of time, the dog needs to be tested before going on the medication again to prevent a possible fatal reaction if they have become infected with heartworms in the meantime. Where I live (for example) we usually give the medication from April until September, and test them each April to determine if they can begin taking the medication OK.
Your vet would know for your area, so the best thing to do is to call your vet (or their receptionist) and see what their usual recommendation is.
Once a month, and most vets recommend that you administer it year-round.
And yes, it’s a lifelong thing.
The medicine doesn’t accumulate, so there’s no danger of toxicity if you give it for a long period of time. It’s only effective for approximately one month … that’s why it’s important to remember to give it on the same day each month (I writie it on the same date of each month every year when I get a new calendar).
You must give the heartworm medicine once a month for the rest of it’s life. The only side affect is heartworms if you stop giving the medicine. Heart worms are contracted from mosquitos and passed thru the dogs blood stream to their heart, if any larve make their way to the heart they will hatch and live inside the dog eventually reproducing and sooner or later killing the dog. Heartworm medicine will kill any larve.
Too many dogs come to the rescue heartworm positive because owners didn’t give heartworm medicine. The treatment is a lot harsher than the prevention.
I assume that you mean Heartguard. It is CRUCIAL that your dog gets it every month on the same day for the rest of his life. Heartworm is usually deadly and sadly, very preventable. I have had many dogs in my 35 years and I’ve always been diligent about giving them their Heartguard and have never had any problems! I’m sure there are occasional side effects like any medication but I think it’s worth any side effect risk. ONE THING THAT I DO KNOW THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT is that YOU MUST HAVE YOUR DOG TESTED FOR HEARTWORM before putting it on a Heartguard regime. This is so important. I think it’s dangerous if your dog has heartworms and is given Heartguard. Now if your pet should ever become very ill and it’s time to give him his Heartguard, consult your veterinarian of course before giving it to him. This is also true when your dog becomes very old and if he suffers from anything common in geriatric pets. I hope that you are also giving your dog Frontline Plus as well. Veterinarians carry it. It is also a once-a-month treatment that is very simple to put on. Make sure that you get the PLUS ’cause it kills flea eggs and not just fleas. I do know that puppies should be a certain age before giving them Frontline and Heartguard. Again, check with your vet and read what the product’s info. says regarding that. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW DOG!
It is heartworm preventative – not really "medication" – it is to keep your dog from getting heartworm, which is a horrible infestation that will eventually kill your dog if left untreated – and it is hard and expensive to treat.
Be sure to give your dog heartworm preventative EVERY SINGLE MONTH for as long as he lives. It is cheap enough (generic works fine) and prevents a killer disease.
I have all my dogs on heartworm, flea and tick preventative,
every single month. Ticks and fleas cause diseases in dogs, besides being unpleasant.
These monthly preventatives are absolutely necessary if your dog is to have a good, long life – and prevention is the key, a lot cheaper than vetting when the dog is sick.
Yes, you do. There are no side affects. If you get Heartgard, it is a meaty chewy rectangle like a dog treat. My dog loves them. Try that kind. It keeps my dog healthy and he can’t get heartworms. I think Heartgard is the best. What kind are you giving your dog?