Heart Worm Preventative

[Guest Anonymous]

I miss my fur baby. He was a very sweet baby!

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi, I was given information today from a coworker about ProHeart 6 to include links like this. He and another coworker are dog owners and were aware of this situation previously.
Our family just adopted a 10 month old mix today and I want to say that the posts I've read are extremely eye opening. :o
I want to say thanks for the opportunity to become familiar with situations such as these about heartworm. We've never owned a dog before and weren't knowledgeable about these things, especially this new medication. We currently have a cat and our vet has been terrific treating him. When my coworker brought up some concerns about this ProHeart 6 treatment for our dog, it intrigued me. We trust our vet completely, but he's not treated our dog yet.
I'm devastated by the loss of each pet I've read about :cry:, but thank each of you for the information you've shared. May God bless you and your families.
A pet is a member of the family, I've always had cats before and cried inconsolably when they were gone, each by unnatural causes. Thank you again. Mary

[Guest Anonymous]

I AM SO SORRY ABOUT YOUR PRECIOUS DOG.....I KNOW FULLY WELL HOW YOU FEEL AND THE PAIN YOU HAVE SUFFERED!
My vet and I just held a recent conversation regarding PH6. He feels and more importantly has access to much more information than we pet owners do - that this shot is definitely killing our dogs. He also has explained to me what may be going on in the veterinary field in general to predicate them pushing this shot so hard to all of the pet owners. Here is what I was told:
Now that it has been proven that we have been over vaccinating our dogs,
there shall be less appointments with vets on an annual basis (of course this would not apply to rabies - which is required annually) but possibly every 2-3 years depending on the vaccine. That the vets will surely lose income as a result of this change. Furthermore it is suspected that the other heartworm manufacturers may be considering going "over the counter" in retail markets with Petsmart/Petco, etc. in order to compete with the PH6 shot. The vets would then lose the ability to charge us for having to test the dog for heartworms prior to the administration of whatever heartworm preventative we chose.......so, they push PH6. It would be logical to do this, since the dog must receive an injection and be tested, etc., etc. Thus they would have re-curring revenue every 6 mos. So, this is why he feels they are pushing the shot so hard. In addition to that, the manufacturer knows that no research (at least as of this date) is being performed in order to prove that in fact, PH6 is killing the dogs. So, they can continue to sell the drug to the vets who in turn sell to us and they all make money at the expense of our poor dog. Furthermore we spend MORE money in order to make the dog become well, so the vets
win again. The vets turn a deaf ear to us and make it impossible for us to convince them it is the shot because when I tried to take my dog to a "new" vet while he had just become ill due to the first vet "dragging his feet" for a "second opinion". The first vet faxed over my dogs test results with the comments I suspected it was PH6, so they knew immediately. Thus, I could not possibly receive a true 2nd opinion.
So, they all cover their rears.....WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? I know of a man in Arkansas whose 2 1/2 years old VERY healthy dog died within 32 hours of receiving the shot....had seizures and died in front of him. He kept the dog on ice, had an autopsy and the vet's receptionist slipped and admitted they found adult heartworms....yet the dog tested negative....the shot is killing any heartworms in the dogs body. My vet told me that the vets do not know how to treat the animal because the symptoms all vary, plus it is time released and then it opens up the possibility of the lawsuit. All I can say is that I and several others will NOT GIVE UP. We shall take this to the media, one way or another.....Plus we have NOW the assistance of a vet who is fighting along side us. He does have contacts and BELIEVE ME....THIS MANUFACTURER WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS......YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK!!!

[Nancy B]

[quote name='Cowgirl']INow that it has been proven that we have been over vaccinating our dogs,
there shall be less appointments with vets on an annual basis (of course this would not apply to rabies - which is required annually) but possibly every 2-3 years depending on the vaccine. That the vets will surely lose income as a result of this change. Furthermore it is suspected that the other heartworm manufacturers may be considering going "over the counter" in retail markets with Petsmart/Petco, etc. in order to compete with the PH6 shot. The vets would then lose the ability to charge us for having to test the dog for heartworms prior to the administration of whatever heartworm preventative we chose.......so, they push PH6. It would be logical to do this, since the dog must receive an injection and be tested, etc., etc. Thus they would have re-curring revenue every 6 mos. So, this is why he feels they are pushing the shot so hard. [/quote]

Excuse me but, I don't agree with a lot of this. First of all rabies varies from area to area but, many areas allow 3 year vaccinations. Second of all I have not vaccinated my dogs annually for many years BUT I most certainly do take them to the vet once a year! (Most of the show/performance people I know do likewise.) If it's a "non-vaccination" year I have titers done. I've also started having complete bloodwork done to ensure that the BARF diet I feed is giving them everything they need. I also do have a hearworm test done once a year at their checkup. You need to do this, you can KILL your dog if you merrily carry on giving heartworm meds for year after year without checking that they have not developed heartworm.

With canine accupuncture, massage therapy and physical "adjustments" now more widely available I find myself going to the vet more frequently than once a year. My dogs to agility and it's sometimes hard on their bodies, those things help.

I never buy Frontline (which I do use) from the vet. I do buy their hearworm preventive there (Interceptor) although that may change in the future.

I suppose that there may be some vets who may feel a pinch with lack of annual vaccinations but, that just means that they're not evolving with the times. They need to let their clients know that their dogs still need a "wellness" exam. They need to let clients know that their dogs still neet annual heartworm tests. They need to expand their practice to include some sports medicine or holistic or massage or accupuncture or physical therapy or many of the other things in demand theses days. Vets who have actually gone on to specialize in canine nutritution are in very high demand because there are very few of them around.

I feel very sorry for the people and dogs that were so adversly affected and/or killed by the heartworm shot. I NEVER give my dogs anything new on the market. It's got to be out in common usage for years before I'll try it. Heck, drug companies have screwed up with people, remember all the weight loss drugs killing or affecting people's hearts? I figure that human drugs must have more controls on them than drugs for dogs so, I'm just not gonna let my dogs be "beta testers" for new dog drugs!

[JackieMaya]

I'm so terribly sorry for those of you who lost your beloved dogs to the ProHeart6 shot.

Before I knew of the controversy regarding the shot, both of my dogs got the ProHeart6 heartworm shot (about a month ago), and luckily they have had absolutely no reaction whatsoever, and are running, playing, eating, pooping and peeing just like before. After hearing all these terrible stories, at the end of the six-month period I think I'll go back to the monthly chewable heartworm preventative. I was lucky with my dogs, but I don't want to take a chance if I have a choice.

Thank you all for sharing your heartwrenching stories of your dogs' reactions and deaths from the shot. You have my deepest sympathies for your losses.

[Guest Anonymous]

It is absolutely amazing that every time I turn on the computer and get on the internet these days, I hear of another person or persons whose dog has received the shot and their dog is gravely ill or has died. FOR GOD SAKES......ALL OF US PET OWNERS ARE NOT CRAZY.....go to the 84 pages of threads on the idog message board, look under Health, Everything & Misc, then Beware of ProHeart 6 - read for yourself. The FDA had 1600 cases reported months ago, they must be up to more than 2000 plus adverse reactions being reported and the shot was just approved in June/2001! The Dear Doctor letter was sent out in July 2002, and many of the vets have admitted not reading it AFTER their client asks them about it!

I have never stated that dog owners should not go to the vet to have their dogs examined, I promote that. However, it is very difficult for us dog owners to trust vets who continuously promote a product that is killing our dogs, yet they ignore us telling them that our dog was healthy before the shot, then our dog is dead. Then an autopsy is performed - why - because the manufacturer and the vet NEED another reason for the dog to have become ill - that way, it is NOT the shot - no possibility of a lawsuit.
My vet and I have discussed this fact....they all protect each others diagnosis and believe me this is a tough drug to treat since it is time released.
The VETS of all people are supposed to be there to assist us, protect our beloved animals, not to ignore our pleas and more importantly it is THE VETS that should become more educated about a SHOT they recommend. Not turn a deaf ear to our pleas that the shot is causing our dogs to become ill. Our group is trying to obtain the assitance of the National Heartworm Society......I believe they would not like to know there is a preventative out there that in all actuality is turning into a treatment....which is resulting in death. How many dogs must die before they pull this off the market?
Everything I say here will be proven through research....research that must be started NOW - otherwise you will have so many reports as from the lady with the puppy. WE MUST PROTECT OUR DOGS FROM THIS SHOT! I am going to copy the form that my vet uses when his clients ask about giving the shot to their dog....it is designed to educate the owner.

[Guest Anonymous]

Form used by my vet relative to educating the public about
ProHeart 6 Injection

ProHeart Injection

[Guest Anonymous]

There is a window of vulnerability whereby your dog can become re-infected if your dog spits out a pill or you forget for a month, run out, etc., etc. Here is what my vet states prior to testing for heartworms:

Form used by my vet to educate the public that no test is 100% accurate!


Your dog is being tested for heartworms by the difil test. This test detects microfilaria (baby heartworms) in the blood stream. This test indicates if it is safe to administer preventative. This test does not mean your dog does not have adult heartworms in the heart and is considered 85% accurate.

An occult heartworm test is being run to determine if your dog has adult heartworms in the heart. This test is considered to be 90% accurate.

If results are not phoned to you within 24 hours, you can phone

[behle]

This is a heart breaking topic. I cannot imagine how horrible I would feel if I were to lose a beloved pet by following the advice of my veterinarian. I guess the lesson I am learning is to question, question, question the vets advice plus do some research in advance of the appointment. I would do the same before going to my personal physician and having any work done or a new medication given!

I don't know that there is anything we can do other than what is already being done by members of this board and animal lovers. Is there any petition out there to sign yet? Have I missed something?

[Guest Anonymous]

[b]First, there is a daily heartworm pill. It is called Filaribits and they have been around forever.
Second, ANY AND EVERY DRUG HAS ADVERSE REACTIONS!! It is your job as a human being to ask intelligent questions to your vet and read the label. I am sorry for your loses, but every drug for man or animal has on the label: INDICATIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS AND WHAT TO DO IF THEY HAPPEN (call poison control, call your vet, etc.)
You can go to the company website at [url]www.proheart6dvm.com[/url] and see for yourself.

I have worked in every facet of the small animal industry from working for a Vet, going to Vet Tech School to training dogs, showing dogs and grooming.
Use your God-given sense to think and use your mind for the safety and health of your pets and stop spreading petty gossip. You only have to be 13 years old to be on this site and it looks like there are a lot of young and impressionable people on this site. Cowgirl seems to have a good head on her shoulders and has given a lot of accurate information.
I hope that you have all learned something from this experience with this drug.
Also, I don't believe in dumping a ton of unwarranted drugs into my show dog's systems, I use other methods of controlling fleas, heartworm and other parasites. I use Holistic means of caring for all of my animals. If you would like to discuss, feel free to contact me.[/b]

[Guest Anonymous]

To: Administrator

I truly wish I had the answer to give you, it would make it so simple. Just tonight my friend in Colorado, who lost 2 of three dogs to this shot, in her opinion as well as mine, has received the adverse reaction report/deaths from the FDA. She is in the process of calling them to explain how they report these findings. It is complicated. Many people could report an adverse reaction, but much research must be done on the part of the FDA to not only wait 15 days to see if Fort Dodge also reports the adverse reactions, but more importantly the report from the vet must be updated to Fort Dodge - NOT THE FDA if the dog in fact dies. I myself experienced this. My first vet (I ended up taking my dog to four vets totally) only reported his initial reaction which was a slight cough and leaking urine......(this was due to the heartworms dying in his system and going into his lungs!) - it took a call from the FDA for my vet to update Fort Dodge......it took me contacting ALL of the other vets to get them to do the same. Very difficult for the FDA to do a thorough job. I just received an email tonight of a lady whose dog is chewing its paws raw til they bleed because of reacting to this shot. Believe me, I am not a crazy person that has nothing better to do than talk about this shot.......it is not safe....if it does not kill your dog, it will make them have reactions.... like this dog which the vet in turn deems as allergies....not at all.....it is the shot. My vet told me the vets are totally complexed on how to treat the dogs......they cannot figure it out....hard to treat. I am going to ask my vet to post a list of the most reported symptoms and what to tell your vet.....then this could assist them in making your dog better. Or, if they refuse to believe you, take your dog to a vet that will listen - in order to help your dog. Then maybe, my vet can help your vet with the proper diagnosis. I just do not know how else to help these poor dogs. My heart ackes every time I hear of another dog......and believe me it will continue until the drug is pulled off of the shelves and more importantly the vets finally OPEN THEIR EYES AS TO BEING MISLED!

[Hobbit]

[quote name='moodyblues'][b]First, there is a daily heartworm pill. It is called Filaribits and they have been around forever.
Second, ANY AND EVERY DRUG HAS ADVERSE REACTIONS!! It is your job as a human being to ask intelligent questions to your vet and read the label. [color=red][b]Some people actually take their vet at his word. He is a professional and has taken an oath to inform his client of any and all reactions that could occur. I live in the real world and have never met a vet that discusses the possible side effects BEFORE the administration of the drug. Even IF a person, a normal everyday Joe off the street (not someone like yourself that has worked in the industry) were to think about asking to read the label --- how many could understand what they've written? How many would EVEN fathom that there was something called a MSDS sheet? How many would EVEN know to ask this question, anyway? Many -- many people take their animal to a vet having full confidence in this person to "HELP" their animal. They place the life of their animal in the vet's hands, thinking, or just knowing that he/she KNOWS everything there is to know about medicine and TRUSTS HIM TO NOT MAKE MISTAKES. [/b][/color]


I am sorry for your loses, but every drug for man or animal has on the label: INDICATIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS AND WHAT TO DO IF THEY HAPPEN (call poison control, call your vet, etc.)
You can go to the company website at [url]www.proheart6dvm.com[/url] and see for yourself.

I have worked in every facet of the small animal industry from working for a Vet, going to Vet Tech School to training dogs, showing dogs and grooming. [b][color=darkred]This makes you MORE knowledgable than MOST people who have NOT worked in this industry.[/color][/b]

Use your God-given sense to think and use your mind for the safety and health of your pets and stop spreading petty gossip. [b][color=red]I MUST have missed a page or something --- where's the petty gossip? [/color][/b]

You only have to be 13 years old to be on this site and it looks like there are a lot of young and impressionable people on this site. Cowgirl seems to have a good head on her shoulders and has given a lot of accurate information.
I hope that you have all learned something from this experience with this drug. [color=red][b]Could you be just a little more condensending here? Again, MOST people do not have your knowledge of the industry and have not the vast experience that you have. Some people just TRUST their vet to do the right thing.[/b][/color]

Also, I don't believe in dumping a ton of unwarranted drugs into my show dog's systems, I use other methods of controlling fleas, heartworm and other parasites. I use Holistic means of caring for all of my animals. If you would like to discuss, feel free to contact me. [b][color=darkred]Instead of belittling some one for NOT having the knowledge as you do concerning the holistic means by which to care for your animal, please share the knowledge. Until someone can show proof that the holistic med's work for the prevention of heartworms, it's best for the common person to still seek the advise of a medical professional.[/color][/b] [/b][/quote]

[Carolk9s]

Thank you Hobbit for that excellent reply to moodyblues! I too was thinking along those lines, heck I don't generally second guess my own dr. and would apply the same basic trust to my vet. While I do agree that an informed consumer is generally a safer consumer, I do NOT have extensive knowledge or background when it comes to veterinary medicine.

[Hobbit]

Thanks Carol -- you WANT to believe that the person that you are entrusting your best friend too, knows what he's doing.

I am not a trusting person in the first place and I always want to see the MSDS sheet BEFORE anything is done to my dog. Just like when Guy had surgery. I asked to see the MSDS sheet on EVERY drug that they were going to give him. I wanted to see every little detail about how the surgery would be done.....then after asking 2 hours worth of questions > things were still left uncovered and there were still complications. But, he's fine.....so far.

My mother, NEVER asks questions. She just says okay, do what ever you need to do to make my dog well. And where she lives......the vet is notorious for killing small animals with his lack of or non-caring knowledge. She lives in a very remote area and he is the ONLY vet for many, many miles.

Sorry to get off on that story. Alas, Deep said this would happen one day. I didn't believe him when he said it.......but IT HAS happened. :drinking:

[Guest Anonymous]

[b]My main question:[/b]
[u]i[b] am going to share these posts with my vet along with the letter from the ft dodge vet. its not quite 2 wks since the injection is there anything that can be done if this is a reaction from ph6?[/b][/u]

[b]Our Story[/b]
i have been reading the posts on some of the horror storys of ph6. i am sitting here sick to my stomach that my dog may become one of the victims.

Apr 4 i took augie to the vet for shots, that is where i saw the sign for ph6. however, the vet i went to wasnt my normal vet, i have moved and they were further away, so i went to someone local. i asked about ph6 and she discussed how the dogs were safer because they were protected not relying on my memory.

so the dogs got their heartworm test, their shots, and the ph6. thats right, without the results of the hw test. i didnt think about it, after all i trusted the vet.

Apr 7 vet called to tell me augie had tested positive for heartworm. now the dilema, he has the ph6 in his system, his system cannot handle the treatment. she said ft dodge said some ppl treat right away, some wait 2 wks.

Apr 12-14 friday, 1 week after ph6 augie started getting really tired. i thought it was the heartworm. sunday i took him for a walk, after 2 blocks he was ready to stop. when he jumped out of the car on monday, he fell. my heart is breaking.

apr 14 i got to thinking more and more, this vet was negligent in administering the ph6 before getting the results of the hwtest, i am not letting her do another thing to my dog, so i called my vet of 15 yrs and i went to see her.

his lungs are clear, his heart strong slow beat (hes a flyball dog and extremely athletic), we did a blood panel and it was fine except for low average platelettes. i am not sure what that means yet. he had xrays, ua, and whatever else could be done.

my vet called ft dodge, heres what scares me, they offered to send a check to the vet to help defray the cost. some one else had posted that ft dodge offered to pay their vet bills. my vet is puzzled, thinks it could be a virus, doubts its the ph6 thinking an allergic reaction would show sooner, though she doesnt use it in the clinic, also mention autoimmune disease. now i am trying to figure out what to do.

oh the ft dodge ppl told her to wait 30 days before treating augie for hw because the level of the preventative will be much lower causing less chance for problems. thats quite different from the 2 weeks - some ppl do it right away.

please tell me its early enough and there is something i can do for augie. this boy has had a rough year already with kennel cough in the fall, and a torn muscle since january. i love him dearly and want to do what i can to keep him with me.

[u]i[b] am going to share these posts with my vet along with the letter from the ft dodge vet. its not quite 2 wks since the injection is there anything that can be done if this is a reaction from ph6?[/b][/u][b]

thanks
meri[/b]

[Rosebud]

:-? :(

First: I am so sorry to hear about all the babies and their irresponsible doctors. My heart goes out to all of them and their mommy's & daddy's.

Second: Thank you Hobbit for your reply to MoodyBlues. Not everybody is that educated and they trust their vets just like they trust their human doctors. Anyways, people [u]should[/u] be able to trust what their vet says.

Third: I have my vets home phone number and would suggest to anyone who has a vet that will not give out that info to get another vet. My vet goes back to school 3 times a year to get refreshed in what is going on in his field. He researches a breed, potential reactions to medication, common ailments, etc before doing anything other than a routine physical. He answers any questions I have and has actually told me that he is glad to see that I have so much interest in how my dogs are treated. A few ex. are when I asked about having a prelim done on my dogs hips: his reply was that I have an excellent dog, she is not showing any indications of having any problems and that since my breed is sensitive to anethesia he does not recommend putting her under just for a hip prelim. He said that if I plan on breeding her before she is 2 or if she shows signs of having problems then he highly suggests it; but he also said that he knows I am more responsible than to breed her before she is old enough. Second Ex. When my friend took Bud (they had changed his name to Bo) to him he suggested that if they liked the name Bud to change it back, he said that Bo sounded too much like NO! to a young pup and it would confuse him.

Last: I asked him about one of the yearly all-in-one worm shots and he told me that he didn't want to put my dogs on it, he had been talking to other vets and they were having problems, the dogs were getting heartworms, he said that he was taking his dogs off of it and told me to keep mine on the Heartguard chewies. He also told me that there was a new shot coming out and that he was not going to offer it for at least a year to see what it's side effects are. I can't remember which ones but I do know that he don't trust any of the shots for heartworms. He is a wonderful man and does not let his clients spend money that is not necessary and educates them on side effects and will recommend other vets if he is not knowledgable about an a particular issue.

My suggestion to readers is to ask your vet [b]"What do you use on your pets and WHY?"[/b]


:angel:

[/u]

[pei obssessed]

I've been reading everybody's posts about the heartworm preventive--sorry to hear about your losses...
I wanted to ask: does anyone use Revolution (selamectin topical solution)? It's a fairly new product that was recommended by my vet--it's supposed to be good for heartworm, fleas and ticks... It's applied on the skin (between the shoulder blades) once a month. On the prospect it says that they have tested it and that from 100 pure bred dogs, none had any side effects... But you can never know, I guess.
I haven't started giving it to my Shar-pei because it's not mosquito season yet, but I wanted to know if anyone knows anything about this drug, anyone had any bad experiences?

[Hobbit]

[quote name='pei obssessed']I've been reading everybody's posts about the heartworm preventive--sorry to hear about your losses...
I wanted to ask: does anyone use Revolution (selamectin topical solution)? It's a fairly new product that was recommended by my vet--it's supposed to be good for heartworm, fleas and ticks... It's applied on the skin (between the shoulder blades) once a month. On the prospect it says that they have tested it and that from 100 pure bred dogs, none had any side effects... But you can never know, I guess.
I haven't started giving it to my Shar-pei because it's not mosquito season yet, but I wanted to know if anyone knows anything about this drug, anyone had any bad experiences?[/quote]


It's from the Chemical group: Avermectin, (Macrocyclic Lactone), same as Ivermectin.

Ivermectin has not been approved by the FDA for the use on small animals.

[b]Selamectin[/b]

Chemical group: Macrocyclic lactone

Trade name: Revolution

Mode of action: Binds to glutamate gated chloride channels in the parasites

[Horsefeathers!]

My two cents on Revolution, for what it's worth...

I was given several months' supply of it by a company rep for my dogs when it first came out. I tried it on all of them and it was very disappointing for flea control. If you live in an area that is heavily infested with fleas, this ain't the stuff to use. Since it didn't control fleas as it was hyped up, it made me apprehensive about trusting it to do the other things it's supposed to do with any great efficacy.

Also, one of my dogs had a seizure almost immediately following the application of the Revolution. We have no way of knowing if it was related, but he had never had one before then and never had one again. It was the only thing "out of the ordinary" at the time. I'm sure there is always going to be that one dog out of a gazillion that will react to anything on the market, but I just figured I'd toss that out there.

[Horsefeathers!]

Just a side note... my vet has been considering discontinuing the selling of Revolution due to the huge number of complaints he has gotten for it not working on fleas. To tell the truth, he hasn't been carrying it long enough to know exactly how effective it is at preventing heartworms, but again, you have to wonder about its efficacy if it's already not doing some of what it's supposed to do.

[Rosebud]

:-?

Pei obsessed you jogged my memory.

It was not a shot my vet took his dogs off of it was Revolution. He said that he had heard from other vets that the dogs were getting heartworms after being on it for more than 1 year, he said that he had had 2 dogs come back heartworm positive himself. He told me that I should continue using a different Heartworm Preventative from my flea/tick and not give them on the same day, he wanted to do some more research himself and now that I think about it it was Proheart 6 that he was going to wait and see what happens before offering it at his office, guess I need to call him and find out what he came up with.

:angel:

[pei obssessed]

Gee, I wish I found this post before spending the 90$ on Revolution :x
Now, what should I use for heartworm prevention? I went again through all the posts on the topic and it seems some people are happy with Heartguard, but others aren't. I haven't seen anything bad on Interceptor--is this the way to go then?
Also, I don't think my vet has Interceptor (he only told me about Heartguard and Revolution)... can I get it anywhere else--like from another vet's office (although my Pei was tested for heartworm by this other vet)?

[Rosebud]

:-?

Pei if the box of Revolution is unopened you should be able to return it.

I don't see why you can't go to another vet to get Interceptor. My IG was taken to the local vet (she won't go back) in my town (small town), I asked for a copy of the heartworm results (you could ask for a prescription). I took it to my RR's vet (which is 45 miles away) and bought the heartworm medicine there with the RR's. Now my RR's vet did say that in 12 months I will either have to bring in another test result or he will have to check for heartworms himself before I can refill her heartworm pills.


Ask your vet about Interceptor and find out why he isn't offering it, if it's what you want to use he should understand you going somewhere else for it.

:angel:

[Guest Anonymous]

Upon my dog dying from PH6 "in my opinion", my new puppy was put on Interceptor and my NEW vet recommends it highly. My vet has been around for years and evidently it has proven to him to be a good heartworm preventative.

In the event, any of you new to this site has a dog who has become recently ill that in your opinion is due to the PH6 shot, please read the following information that was obtained from my vet. It could help your vet with the diagnosis and treatment (if necessary of course) with the dog. More importantly, they have to TRY and ACCEPT that, yes the shot is quite capable of making your dog ill - that in itself is the major obstacle!

Here is what my vet states: I usually wait until a product has been on the market for a year just to see what side effects turn up before I recommend it. I have never used Proheart. I have seen a side effect from this drug in some clients pets who received it elsewhere. Evidently Proheart will kill L5, young heartworm pre-adults as they emerge into the heart. Ft Dodge has acknowledged this, saying they didn't think it could cause a problem. This death of L5 results in pulmonary thromboembolisms, pulmonary infiltrateeosinophilia, and possibly death. I suspect this may be the common denominator in IMHA and HGE diarrhea. Typically a dog will start coughing the day after the injection and the respiratory distress will get progressively worse. Platelet counts drop to 60,000 and eosinophiliaabsolute over 1000. PTE wont show up on the rads until later, and are easily confused with metastiatic neoplasia. I think Vets could prevent this reaction by making sure dogs are on preventative for at least twomonths before administering Proheart. If Vets were aware of this side effect and knew how to diagnose and treat it, dogs should not have to die from it.
I personally plan on faxing this information to the two female vets who REFUSED to accept the fact that my dog became ill after receipt of the PH6 shot. I am very interested in seeing how they respond to another vets information - especially when they told me "I should not believe everything I read on the internet back in October/2002" right before my dog died! But the list continues to grow on poor dogs who have become ill and or died as a result of the ProHeart 6 shot - IN MY OPINION.

[Guest Anonymous]

I must apologize to all of you, but I mis-typed L5 which was meant to be L4 in my prior post. What this means is that the L4 heartworms (junior adults) and the L5 heartworms are ADULT - fully grown. The L4 heartworms can be four to six inches and the adult much larger. They ALL migrate to the right side of the heart. The L4's CANNOT BE DETECTED by any test. No test exists to detect them. Do not take my word for it......ask your vet....investigate and ask questions on what I say here. The average test the vets use to test our dogs for heartworms CANNOT detect L4's....thus if your dog is tested negative (as mine and others I am aware of were), but the dog does possess L4s in the dogs system, the dog can become very ill and possibly die as many have due to the heartworms dying and going into the dogs organs. In my dog, they went into the lungs - pulmonary thrombolesiums. Low Platelets counts as the lady that posted before me noted on her dog - which she admits her dog did test positive is a sign that the dog is reacting to this drug. If your dog does become ill, please let me know and I will give your vet the information on my vet and they can discuss the situation between them in order to try and save the dog.

I will have more proof to provide to all of you in the near future about this product. This information would assist your vet in believing that this drug can most certainly affect your dog and how it can lead to your dog becoming ill or possible death. I cannot reveal this information as of yet.