my vet keeps testing for heartworm every 6 months in order to prescribe the dog a new set of pills. is this normal or are they just upselling shit we don't need?

3/7/2014 2:49:33 PM

I have never heard of that. I worked for a vet in coastal SC (more heartworms than here) and we only did initial testing. Some vets want to do it yearly because they assume you are an idiot and will forget to give the pills and not admit to it, but that's the only reason. If you don't give the meds in the winter then you do need to test for heartworms.

3/7/2014 2:54:50 PM

we give the pills year-round. is there a way to get the pills without going through the vet?

3/7/2014 2:56:05 PM

Yes. Ivermectin (the active ingredient in Heartgard) is available OTC labeled for horses and farm animals.

3/7/2014 2:57:31 PM

http://www.amazon.com/Vetrimec-1-Ivermectin-50ml/dp/B005C0UEWW

would this stuff work?

3/7/2014 3:05:41 PM

its not pills, are you okay giving an injection?

but really you should stop doing year round heartworm drugs. where the hell do you live? we don't have mosquitoes year round in NC.

3/7/2014 4:21:27 PM

I know several breeders who have used the 1% stuff. They said you have to be super careful with the dosing because for a dog you need a very small amount. It tastes bad so you have to soak it into a treat or something to make sure they get it all. It's such a small amount of clear liquid they could just drool it out and you wouldn't know.

3/7/2014 4:24:41 PM

You can get drugs here without a prescription:
http://www.petshed.com/heartworm-control

Just remember that they still need to be tested before treatment when you stop treatment.

3/7/2014 4:25:23 PM

The injectable stuff can be given orally.

Most people in NC give the pills all year because you can only skip them for a couple months, so giving the pills is less hassle, expense, and risk than going without a couple months then having to haul the dog to the vet for a test.

[Edited on March 7, 2014 at 4:27 PM. Reason : ...]

3/7/2014 4:25:40 PM

We don't have mosquitos for probably 5 months, and even after that the risk is pretty low

3/7/2014 6:04:25 PM

eh, my vet recommended year round treatment.

3/7/2014 7:46:33 PM

I go based on the winters. If we get a couple of good hard freezes like this winter, I'll stop treatment to avoid resistance. I always do flea/tick treatment starting around now, though.

You can treat dogs with ivermectin you can buy OTC for horses and other livestock, but be careful about the dosing. It's done by mg/kg. Dogs have OD'd because they found the leftover paste dewormer in its syringe and sucked it down (blame this on the owners being stupid and not disposing of the container properly).

3/8/2014 6:21:53 PM

^^posts thread doubting vet. Makes post siding with vet. Make up your mind.

3/8/2014 9:15:37 PM

?

this isn't a debate. this was a question to see if testing was necessary for a dog on medication year round, which my dog is.

3/8/2014 9:47:39 PM

While we test once a year, I don't have to have her tested for a refill. I usually only buy 6 months supply bc we don't give her heartworm trx year round (usually skip dec-mar), and can easily walk in at any time to get more.

3/9/2014 9:44:51 AM