Heart Worm???

[Hobbit]

[quote name='[email protected]']does anyone know of a cure for heart worm outside of the cost prohibitive vet treatment. Mothers part chow is in early stage and vet wants 350.00 she does not have that kind of money
thanks[/quote]

[color=indigo]I know this is quite a bit after the post but:
Treatment for heartworms is difficult on the dog and prevention is easy. If your dog tests positive for heartworms and you decide to treat it, here is what will happen: Your vet will want to take a blood sample to begin with to check the dog's liver function. The treatment that kills the adult worms uses a drug called [b]Caparsalate[/b]. This drug is given twice a day for 2 days while the dog is in the hospital. The dog must be kept quiet (caged) for 4 weeks after the adult worms have been killed. It takes 7 to 17 days from the time of treatment for the adult worms to die. Within this time, dead worms will fragment and travel to the dog's lungs. If dead worms are numerous, some of the blood vessels to the lungs will become blocked, and this is inevitable. However, if the dog is kept quiet and only allowed to move around enough to go outside, the blockage of pulmonary vessels may remain subclinical. If the dog is allowed to run around, the heart rate increases and many dead worm fragments will travel to the lungs at the same time. This is what you want to avoid. About 4 weeks after Caparsalate has been given, the dog will be given a high dose of ivermectin to kill the remaining microfilaria that are circulating. Although this is a high dose of ivermectin, it is below the lowest dose known to cause mild, self-limiting toxic side effects in Collies. Obviously, after being treated, dogs should be kept on heartworm preventative!

Caparsalate contains Arsenic. Arsenic, being a heavy metal and also toxic to humans is why the treatment must be conducted at the vet clinic by a licensed veterinarian.[/color]