Heart Worm Preventative

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi, I am looking for advise on heart worm preventative. Last year my 2 dogs had the injection, previous to this they had both been on the monthly tablets. I am considering giving them the daily tablets as they are much cheaper, and if you include them in the daily meal, I don't see it being any more hassle? Does any one have any advise on the daily tablets?? Any info welcolme. Thanks.

[GizmoRedNosePit]

I've never heard of daily tablets, I have monthly tablets. I asked my vet about the shot every six months and he did not recommened it. It sits in this area on their body and basically decaes (sp?). It is not a good idea to have that done personaly....but daily tablets....hmmm check out about the monthly tablets...lot easier!

[GizmoRedNosePit]

I think in a dog case over the counter and from the vet are the same thing!! But I use interceptor right now, I want to goto another one...i cant remeber what it is called right now hmmmm heartgaurd....a friend uses it....pup loves them!

Go to 1888petmeds.com

[Guest Anonymous]

We use Heartguard for both of our dogs and they love it. We usually get them from our vet.

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='pitbullluva']We use Heartguard for both of our dogs and they love it. We usually get them from our vet.[/quote]

I prefer interceptor to heartguard as my dogs refuse to eat the chewable heartguards - considering they'll normally eat ANYTHING the fact they refuse this 'treat' makes me suspicious. My guys have done great on interceptor for several years now including pups and bitches in whelp and nursing. I've seen no fertility problems in my males either and I had read early on about some issues with that with some other types of heartworm prevention.

[Guest Anonymous]

We put McKenzie on Heartguard. Got it from the vet. She loves it, she will sit and bark and bark after her monthly dose, hoping for more. So I have to keep treats around so I can give her a couple so she will stop the barking.

[Guest Anonymous]

I have been hearing rumors about dog deaths linked to Proheart 6, the heartworm drug thatt is supposed to last for 6 monhts that is injected. It turns out that the FDA DOES have evidence that this medication can be fatal to our pups!

The thing is that vets are recommending Proheart 6 because it lasts so long and because they make more money on it because it is injected and requires an office visit. It looks to me like greedy vets and corporate goons are putting our dogs at risk just to make a buck. Gee, go figure. Perhaps someone should tell the FDA to do its job and protect our best friends. God, I hope they do a better job with human meds

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='samcohen']I have been hearing rumors about dog deaths linked to Proheart 6, the heartworm drug thatt is supposed to last for 6 monhts that is injected. It turns out that the FDA DOES have evidence that this medication can be fatal to our pups!

The thing is that vets are recommending Proheart 6 because it lasts so long and because they make more money on it because it is injected and requires an office visit. It looks to me like greedy vets and corporate goons are putting our dogs at risk just to make a buck. Gee, go figure. Perhaps someone should tell the FDA to do its job and protect our best friends. God, I hope they do a better job with human meds… oh, wait – they don’t![/quote]
First off if you want to get rich vet school is not the way to go in terms of a medical career so forget the 'greedy vet' business when you evaluate your dog's care. I suspect a fair number of dogs do get heartworm because no one reminds their owners about giving monthly tablets so the 6 month shot may well be attractive to clients in some areas.
If you want to blame anyone for high prices for heartworm meds have the drug companies explain to you why enough ivermectin to treat a horse for worms is WAY cheaper than the amount needed to treat a chihuahua.

[Guest Anonymous]

This shot is deadly. It just killed by healthy 6 yr old shih tzu. Within 4 days he was having diarrhea and vomiting. My vet's office said it's probably something that's upset his stomach, stop food for 24 hrs, then try the prescription dog food we have. I listened. Problems never stopped. He was never the same after that shot. Wouldn't eat right, wouldn't take our daily walks as often, and still had diarrhea and vomiting in the house, which this dog NEVER did before. Digestive system never recovered and threw his immune system haywire. He was diagnosed with Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia which according to the emergency vet after thorough testing had to have been from something foreign put into his body, and he died 11 days later.

[Carolk9s]

Are some heartworm disease preventatives available without a prescription? I use Heartgard, I either have to get from a vet after the dogs have had their yearly test or get a prescription to send in. I have been getting it via the internet for a couple of years since I can save so much money. I get my dogs tested at the vets, she writes a prescription for me and I can fax it in to the company I'm buying from. I have heard some concerns on my belgian list tho about the safety of buying online. Is the product up to date, is it stored and shipped properly etc. I haven't had any problems at all but it's something to consider. With multiple dogs, the difference in total cost is substantial but I do not want to toy with their health to save some bucks. Here in VA my dogs stay on Heartgard year round.
I also get Frontline online, again the savings are fairly substantial.

[Guest Anonymous]

i've been searching the web looking for proheart reactions, my dog had a major reaction 3 days after the injection (in australia we have a 12 month injection which odviously made it worse) and almost died, to this day he is paralyzed. i can't begin to tell you the agony we both went through and continue to go through. to date i've spent $2500 and this bill is mounting every week. fort dodge the manufacture denies liability, so i plan to take a civil action against them but i need help and i'm asking a big favour. i need signed affidavits from anyone believing proheart injured their dog. i'm taking on a major drug company i believe them to be responsible but they're gonna have the best defence they can afford.

please if you can help, email me or post here and i'll give you the details.

[Hobbit]

[quote name='GizmoRedNosePit']I've never heard of daily tablets, I have monthly tablets. I asked my vet about the shot every six months and he did not recommened it. It sits in this area on their body and basically decaes (sp?). It is not a good idea to have that done personaly....but daily tablets....hmmm check out about the monthly tablets...lot easier![/quote]


[b][color=indigo]"Filarbits" is a daily tablet. It contraindicts itself if the Filaria are already in the bloodstream. [/color][/b]

[Hobbit]

[quote name='Carolk9s']Are some heartworm disease preventatives available without a prescription? I use Heartgard, I either have to get from a vet after the dogs have had their yearly test or get a prescription to send in. I have been getting it via the internet for a couple of years since I can save so much money. I get my dogs tested at the vets, she writes a prescription for me and I can fax it in to the company I'm buying from. I have heard some concerns on my belgian list tho about the safety of buying online. Is the product up to date, is it stored and shipped properly etc. I haven't had any problems at all but it's something to consider. With multiple dogs, the difference in total cost is substantial but I do not want to toy with their health to save some bucks. Here in VA my dogs stay on Heartgard year round.
I also get Frontline online, again the savings are fairly substantial.[/quote]


[color=blue]Carolk9-- that is fortunate that your vet will write you a prescription, MANY will not or will charge extra -- up to $50.00 extra for that prescription! [/color]

[Carolk9s]

Hobbit, I've heard that some vets will charge for a prescription, I do think they are being a bit grabby to do so. If the dog was tested at their office, it does not take but a minute and the office visit is already being paid for. I'm very grateful to have a vet here that I trust, one that has an open mind, one that is willing to save me some bucks whenever she can.
For example, last week while Jesse was suffering from an apparent attack of gastritis and was at the vets all day for monitoring, I had previously made an appt to bring Brittany in due to a bump on her head. The bump turned out to be just a sebaceous (sp?) cyst and nothing to worry about in its present form. I had Candy with me, we put her on the scale to check her weight. My vet charged me just $7 for this visit. She gave me a break I'm sure knowing that I was spending a good deal for Jesse (that came to $355.90)
When I asked to have his thyroid tested, she asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that as he 'didn't look like a low thyroid dog' to her. He was lean and fit but his coat was dry and brittle. She mentioned the cost, I said it did not matter. She certainly did NOT argue with me just wanted to be sure I knew of the cost. Turns out Jesse did have low thyroid, when the results came back she admitted she had learned a little something and would file that away. I reminded her that Jesse was an active agility dog which is part of why he was not chubby.

[Guest Anonymous]

thanks K, i've studied the f.d.a web site and plan to use that information too, (out of 280 dogs tested 3 died) but i'm looking for signed statements, they go along way in court.

[Guest Anonymous]

thanks k i will do that

[Hobbit]

Something that I've been preaching, bitching, grouching, begging, pleading about for YEARS, is to NOT EVER, NEVER, give a herding bred dog ANYTHING containing ANYTHING from the "ectin" family.

Ivom[b]ectin[/b] ...... moxid[b]ectin[/b] SAME family, just off a molecule.

I am not blaming this guy, I totally BLAME the veterinarian for not being educated or taking the time to BE educated about the fatalies that "ectin" can cause to herding bred dogs. There is a study in the AVMA about the sensitivity in Australian Shepherds.

[Guest Anonymous]

thanks k,

that's the type of stuff i need, where did you find it ? i need to contact mr montgomery.

[Guest Anonymous]

My dogs love Heartgard. They love it when that time of the month comes. I've looked online to see if I could find it any cheaper but I've found the same prices as the vets office. Maybe only $1-2 difference.

[Hobbit]

[quote name='sasterb']My dogs love Heartgard. They love it when that time of the month comes. I've looked online to see if I could find it any cheaper but I've found the same prices as the vets office. Maybe only $1-2 difference.[/quote]


Sasterb --- do you have an ACD? If you do, by using Heartguard, you are giving your dog Ivomectin and are playing with the fate of your dog. It's not my business, but herding bred dogs have a genetic sensitivity to Ivomectin. There are other products out there that do not contain Ivomectic --- Like Interceptor, it is Milbemycin.

[Guest Anonymous]

Hobbit, thank you so much for telling me that. I guess I should have been reading more carefully. Cuz if I would have then I would have noticed before you had to tell me. But now I am completely ticked cuz 2 different vets have told me to use heartguard for my little ACDs! We got Kenzie in FL and that vet gave me it for her. Then when we moved I took Bruiser to the new vet and they also gave me heartguard for him! Also, when we ran out I went back to the vet to get more and the receptionist/ vet tech gave me more! This totally stinks. I will also have to pass the info on to my mother that has a herding dog. Well, actually she is a mix that we are not quite certain that she is a herding dog but from her looks and everything else she is. And I believe she is also on heartguard. And that vet is a different vet than either of the ones that I have gone to. So why are all these vets not knowledgable of these facts? But thank you. I will be sure to switch them over.

[Guest Anonymous]

I lost my dog, Trouble on October 17th, 2002. He had been to four vets....and received diffent diagnosis of what he was ill from. He received the shot in conjunction with annual vacinations on August 20th, 2002. He became ill 5-7 days later when he generated a slight cough.....which VERY SLOWLY increased along with his lethargy, lack of appetive, losing weight. I took him to the vet which diagnosed his current condition as having: Enlarged heart, bacterial infection, lung infection. Xrays were sent to a specialist and he returned home with me next day. He just got worse because he would not eat.....I even had to force feed him towards the end - I would do anything to save my beloved dog. The second vet, diagnosed him as having endocardiosis with a secondary lung infection. Finally to a oncologist which diagnosised him with lung cancer. Not one vet had the ability to consider what I said, it was the shot! They all refused to believe me. All had different diagnosis!
I KNEW HE DID NOT DIE OF LUNG CANCER.....HE WAS VERY HEALTHY PRIOR TO THE SHOT. Also, when asked how long he had the cancer, it just coicidentally turned out to have began "about two months ago" which (WAS JUST COICIDENTAL ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE SHOT!)as reported to me by the oncologist. Finally, I found a vet that is what a vet should be - FOR THE ANIMALS - not the money! Upon taking my new dog to him, I began to inqiure if he knew anthing about the PH6.....he did. He asked the diagnosis of my dog....I told him Lung Cancer....his response....No, your dog did not die of lung cancer, it was BLOOD CLOTS!!!!! He explained to me why. Fort Dodge knows the drug is NOT performing as it should.....it is about money and the expendable dogs that will surely die in the future.
I will not bore all of you with the details.........here is my theory as I have researched somethings......the PH6 does not kill the microfilariae (which could be present in the blood - but the test they give the dogs to prove positive or negative should reflect if they are present) if for some reason the test does not reflect them, the shot is given, then the microfilariae begin to die....they create blood clots and can go into any organ....generally the lungs, heart, etc. This drugs create weird things in each dog. Very hard to diagnos, much less prove at this point. This is just my opinion...I am still investigating what this drug is doing to the dogs. I know this......at least 12 dogs are dead that I personally know of - all of the opinion that the shot was responsible. This is since 9/02. I know this......the vet that told me it was blood clots knows of MANY others. Fort Dodge has sold 8 million doses to the vets and sold them a bill of goods to make money.......some dogs are NOT affected, others get very ill, the others die....it is about numbers. The label states that three geriatric dogs died.....their Dear Doctor letter issued July 22nd, 2002 clearly advises the vets to ADVISE THE OWNER TO WATCH FOR SIGNS OF DRUG INTOLERANCES.....the majority of the vets are too busy trying to convince us how GREAT the product is....I was never advised my dog could have ANY reaction. If you want to know more and see other testimonys, go to bewareofproheart6.freecyberzone.com and to the idog message board - under health - Beware of ProHeart 6 - look at the postings there. I just received an e-mail this week from a woman who just lost her dog....she will be posting her story as well. She makes 13!THIS IS NOT FOR US.....IT IS TO SAVE OTHER DOGS AND OWNERS FROM SUFFERING THE WAY WE HAVE. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

[Guest Anonymous]

My vet informed me and has volunteered to discuss his experiences with the FDA. He has a theory as to why the shot ONLY affects some of the dogs and others have no problem with it. Evidently, your two dogs were some of the lucky ones. There are many dogs who were NOT lucky.
One theory is that the dog that is tested negative prior to the shot being given is really positive and does have heartworms....or should I say they were infected because the owner may have missed a month or so, due to this "window" that exists, no test can detect the junior worms adult worms during this period, plus if male worms exist the tests cannot detect them either. Go to www/greatlakesbcrescue.org/heartworm.htm and read about Heartworms, very good article. Then when the shot begins to KILL them along with the microfilia, as they die they create blood clots....high white count due to the dogs immune system attacking them. Dog becomes very ill, lethargic, quits eating, anemic, jaundice, can have pulmonary thromboleuisms(sp?), etc.
The other theory is that if the dog is given the shot in conjunction with other vaccinations, carciogens are created which in turn can create fluids around the heart, all types of problems, hard to diaginos. The FDA made the manufacturer send out a Dear Doctor letter which arrived at the vets office in July/02. FDA letter is in Freedome of Information act and was dated April/02. Drug only out since 6/01 - you figure it out. Unfortunately most of the vets did not read the letter until they had a dog die.....or very bad reactions, now more and more of the vets are finding out that the drug is causing problems refuse to use it any more - WHY, because they have the liability to deal with NOT the manufacturer....gotta have big bucks to sue them with all their attorneys on staff. I just talked to a man who lost his dog in 32 hours - ONLY thing administered was the shot....by the way, his dog DID have heartworms, but tested negative. Go to the i-dog message board and you will not believe the threads about this product. More and more people appear each week with a dog who is still hurting or has died....NOT WORTH THE RISK - JUST MY OPINION.[/list]

[Guest Anonymous]

:cry:

My Rottweiler died last year in May from the Proheart 6 injection, which was told to me and my spouse that this was the "new wonder drug" and it made it easier on the pet. How can that possibly make it easier on the pet when the pet dies from this deadly poisonous drug. Ivermectin is a pure poison and I don't understand how they can make a "timed released shot" out of POISON??????? AND when I contacted Fort Dodge, they [u]refused to take ANY responsibility for their shot[/u]. I sent numerous info and even got with the FDA and they couldn't help any without extensive paperwork and data.

All I wanted Fort Dodge to do was take the responsibility for their "killer Proheart 6 drug" in the numerous deaths. [u]My dog died 5 days after the injection and when he saw the vet prior to this happening, the vet gave him a clean bill of health[/u]. He was a happy dog, running around, playing, eating etc. The second day he was a little punier but still ate, the third day he wasn't eating at all and was throwing up and laying around, not moving at all. Gasping for air, it was hot though in May, Texas weather, ya know. So, I called the vet and he told me to watch him, that it could be a reaction from his normal booster shots and to give him Pepto. So, we did that. The fourth day, he was still in the same exact spot and we got him to get up and move around a little and he was still really rough, but he acted like he felt a little better. So, we gave him another dose of Pepto and went to bed at 10:00p.m.
The next morning, we went out there at 7:30a.m. and he had passed away in his dog house.

Our dog has NEVER gotten sick from his routine shots before. The only thing that was different during that vet visit was the ProHeart 6 shot that the vet talked my husband into giving that to our dog. Of course, when Fort Dodge called the vet, he denied me calling him and making the report and the records he sent us were incomplete. Of course, he wants to cover his fanny so he doesn't get in trouble. But why did he so quickly cremate our dog without our consent before they could've done an autopsy? Funny huh? I can't get any help or be heard and I've tried and tried and I refuse to give up. The story is a little more detailed than this but it's not much more detailed. This was totally unexpected and this should not have happened. I specifically told this vet that I didn't want him giving this shot to ANY of our pets and that the HeartGard chewables were working just fine. I didn't want to switch! But he wanted the extra money, I guess. I felt like we were walking dollar signs everytime we went up to his office for something. We NEVER got out of there for less than $200.00 dollars. I feel distraught, used and I still don't know what to do. It's almost a year since his death and no one wants to help me. What else should I do? I've contacted Fort dodge and the FDA but I don't have the time to fill out extensive paperwork and research. I have since changed vets, so I'm quite sure that the vet we used, no name mentioned, is probably upset b/c he's lost a good amount of money from us pulling our business from him.

[b][u]How many deaths do it have to take before Fort Dodge or the FDA do something about this drug?[/u][/b]

I know a lot of you feel the way I do, so that's why I opted to post my story. Sorry it is so long.

Thanks for reading.
Pom Mom

[mouseatthebusstop]

:( I am so sorry you lost your fur-baby- :lilangel: