There are two ways to treat heartworm disease. If the disease is severe, your pet is hospitalized and given heartworm medicine such as an injection of melarsomine (Rx) (brand name--Immiticide) to kill the adult worms. A second injection of melarsomine is given 24 hours later. This treatment is effective but harsh. Some pets develop a severe lung reaction to the dying worms, which is why they must be hospitalized for the heartworm treatment. In addition to developing an allergic reaction, some pets will be harmed as dead worms drift through the blood vessels and actually plug them. The plug prevents blood from reaching the cells and this causes cells to die. When material floats through a vessel in the lungs, we call it a pulmonary embolus. When the material stops and plugs up a blood vessel in the lungs, we call the material a pulmonary thrombus.
It can be especially dangerous to give Interceptor if your pet has a large number of heartworms because Interceptor immediately kills heartworms. It's the pet's reaction to a large number of dying heartworms that can be fatal. Heartgard provides a slower, safer kill of adult worms, but is not FDA-approved for use in heartworm-positive dogs. Revolution is approved for use in heartworm-positive dogs. Your veterinarian will decide which heartworm treatment is best for your pet.
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Video: Learn More About Preventing Heartworm Disease in Dogs and Cats
Mild Heartworm Infection
The treatment is for pets that have only a very mild heartworm infection. These pets are given heartworm medicines such as Heartgard Plus or Iverhart Plus every month for two years. Often the heartworm medication is begun at half the normal dose, and then increased. This form of treatment does not kill the adult worms, but kills the tiny offspring, the microfilaria. If all the microfilaria die, and over a couple years the adults die, your pet will then be free of heartworm disease.
Recently veterinarians are also prescribing the antibiotic Doxycycline to treat mild heartworm disease. The reason for this is because they have found Doxycycline kills a symbiotic bacteria that lives within the heartworm microfilaria.
Monthly heartworm medications prevent microfilaria from growing into adult worms. Some heartworm treatments also contain additional medications to kill intestinal worms that may potentially inhabit your pet's gut.
The American Heartworm Society recommends that pets remain on heartworm protection year round because when the medication isn't given consistently some pets are developing heartworm disease. The Society feels it is easier for most pet caretakers to remember to give a heartworm medicine every month than to give it a few months of the year.
Date: 01/31/12 Cateory: Flea & Tick Pet Type: Dog Topic: What To Give To Prevent Fleas, Tick And Heartworm
Question: Good Evening Dr. Dym, I Would Like To Purchase Something For My Lab Mix That Will Prevent Fleas, Ticks And Heartworms. Can I Combine Two Medications Such As A Sentinel And Something For Tick Prevention Or Is Their A Combo Medication. We Live Near A Wooded Area And She Comes In With One Or Two On Her A Day After Walks. I Have A Five Month Old Daughter And I Afraid Of Finding One On Her. Please Help.
Answer: You Can Try Topical Revolution Which Can Handle All But You Will Need Written Script From Your Vet. Sentinel And Topical Front Line Can Work As Well.
Date: 01/28/12 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Heart+worms
Question: My 75-100 Pound Wolf/german Shepard Has Heartworms. What Is The Best Medication I Can Give Him For Heart Worms That Is A Monthly Regimine?thanks For Your Help. Mike
Answer: Best Is Monthly Interceptor Or Heartguard. You Would Need Script From Your Vet.
Date: 01/25/12 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Hypoallergenic+heartworm+medicine
Question: I Am Looking For A Hypoallergenic Heartworm Medicine. Please Advise What My Dog Can Take Now That She Is Off All Beef Products.
Answer: There Are Still Nonchewable Heartworm Medications Made. Ask Your Local Vet About This.
Date: 01/19/12 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Heartworm Strands
Question: We Have Been Told That There Is A New Heartworm Strand Out And That We Need To Change From The Heartworm Medicine That We Have Been Given Our Dog That Was In Pill Form To The New Meds That Is In The Liquid That We Put Behind The Neck Under His Hair. None Of Our Other Friends Who Take Their Pets To Different Vets Have Been Told This And Are Still On The Other Meds. Is There A New Strand Of Heartworms Out That Would Warrant Us Changing To This New Formula?
Answer: At This Point There Is No Need To Change Your Heartworm Preventative Medication.
Date: 01/17/12 Cateory: Wormer Pet Type: Dog Topic: Searching For An Answer
Question: Dr. Dym, I Have A Puppy (small)that Received Her First Set Of Shots Last Year, And, Will Be Going Back To Receive Her Next Sets Starting February 2012. The Vet Who Provided Her With The Shots Told Me To Give The Dog Heartworm Pills Before She Reached A Year Old. Well, I Did Not Follow The Vets Recommendation, And, My Puppy Is 14 Months Old. Since Today I Have Been Hearing Like Noises Coming From Her Stomach Area That Sounds Like Wormy-grippy Noise. Do You Think This Is Because She Needs Her Heartworm Medicine? I Am Doing My Research And Asking Around Until I Can Hear Back From The Vet. My Puppy Still Runs Around, But,Does Not Seem Like Her Normal Self. I Need Your Help. Very Worried For My Puppy. Thanks.
Answer: I Dont Think The Stomach Noises Has To Do With Not Giving Heartworm Medication. Could Be Viral Upset Stomach Or Possibly From Intestinal Parasites. I Would Have Vet Check And Stool Check To Rule This Out. In Meantimed You Can Try Pepcid Ac At Dose Of One Half Mg Per Pound Once To Twice Daily.
Date: 01/10/12 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Heartworms
Question: My Dog Gets A Yearly Check Up And All Her Shots. Once A Month I Apply Frontline Plus. My Question Is , Should I Be Giving Her A Heartworm Medicine To ?
Answer: Heartworm Medicine Is Recommended. I Prefer Monthly Heartguard Or Interceptor.
Date: 01/04/12 Cateory: Vaccines Pet Type: Dog Topic: Puppy Care
Question: We Just Got A Puppy On December 24th From A Rescue And He Was Born On October 23rd. When Do I Need To Go To The Vet With Him?? He Had All His Updated Shots To The Point Of Us Getting Him. When Do I Start Him On Flea Meds?? Should I Be Going To The Vet Now? I Think I Should Just To Get An Overall Asesssment. Also...how Can I Master Potty Training. He Is A Beagle/jack Russel Parsons Terrier Mix. He Keeps Pooing And Peeing In The House. He Also Poos And Pees Outside And We Give Him A Treat When He Does.
Answer: Lots Of Questions. I Would See Book How Toget Your Dog To Do What You Want By Warren Eckstein For Housetraining And Other Suggestions.www.thepetshow.com As For Vet Visit I Would Recommend Vet Exam Now, And Then Every 3-4 Weeks Until Distemper/parvo Vaccination Shot Series Completed At Age 16 Weeks Old. I Usually Start Flea Medications Such As Front Line Or Advantage Over 3 Months Of Age. Heartworm Medication Should Be Started Now But You Need Prescription From Your Vet For That.
Date: 12/31/11 Cateory: Flea & Tick Pet Type: Dog Topic: Tick And Heartworm
Question: What Is The Best Combo For Heartworm Prevention Combined With Flea/tick-brown Dog Tick-control. Live In Fl And Frontline Doesn't Work With Fleas Here. Is A Tick Collar And Something Like Revolution- Or Frontline With Heartgard Tabs Or Chews Better. Which Exposes The Dog To Less Chemicals? Thank You.
Answer: I Think Front Line With Heartguard Chews Sounds Like Best Option At This Point.
Date: 12/24/11 Cateory: Wormer Pet Type: Dog Topic: Worms
Question: My Dog Has Worms All The Time I Treet Him And Thay Are Right Back Why
Answer: Likely Being Reinfected From Another Dog Or Home Environment. Make Sure On Monthly Heartworm Preventative Which Can Also Control Andprevent Most Intestinal Worms.
Date: 12/23/11 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Heartworm Medicine For Teacup Chihuahua
Question: Hello, I Have A Very Small Chihuahua That Was 2 Ounces At Birth And At 12 Weeks She Weighs 1 Pound 8 Ounces. We Don't Expect Her To Get Much Bigger And Are Very Concerned About Heartworm Medicine. What Brand Is Best For Her, What Dosage, And Should We Not Give To Her And Just Have Her Tested Annually For? We Live In Charleston, Sc And She Is An Indoor Dog. Also Wondering If We Should Have Her Spayed? I Would Prefer Not To, But Have Heard That The Female Chihuahua's Can Get Cancer In Their Female Organs If Not Spayed. Please Advise, Thanks So Much.
Answer: I Would Check With Local Vet On Waiting On Heartworm Preventative As That Wouuld Depend Upon Risk In Your Area. As For Preference, I Prefer Heartguard Or Interceptor. As For Spaying Wait Until She Is Over One Year Of Age And Then Have Her Spayed. Good Evidence That Waiting Can Have Health Benefits Later On In Life.
Date: 12/09/11 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Vomitng Blood
Question: My Dog Has Been Treated For Heart Worms A Month Ago. I Have Given Him The Prescribed Medication As Instructed.why Is Throwing Up Blood ?
Answer: Sometimes Vomiting Blood Can Be Due To Dying Heartworms. Other Times Unrelated Causes Including Ulcers From Bacteria, Foreign Bodies Or Metabolic Disease May Be Involved. Best To Have Vet Exam Asap To Determine Underlying Causes Here Which Will Guide Best Treatment Plan. For Now, Try Pepcid Ac At Dose Of One Half Mg Per Pound Once To Twice Daily.
Date: 12/04/11 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Heartworm
Question: What Can I Do If My Dog Have Heartworm?
Answer: I Would First Confirm Diagnosis At Vet With Blood Test. If Positive, Then There Is Approved Injectable Treatment With Drug Called Immiticide, As Well As Option Of Starting On Prescription Monthly Heartworm Preventative As Well.
Date: 12/04/11 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Annual+examinations
Question: Dear Dr. Dym: If The Heartworm Medication Prevents Heartworm And Other Types Of Worms, Why Is It Necessary To Have To Pay For An Examination Each And Every Year?
Answer: There Is No Such Thing As A Medication That Works 100%of The Time Which Is Why It Is Recommended To Have Annual Exam And Yearly Heartworm Test As Per The American Veterinary Heartworm Society Recommendations.
Date: 12/03/11 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Nursing Dog
Question: My Yorky Just Had Pups A Week Ago And She Is Now Due For Her Heartworm Meds And Flea Drops. Is It Ok To Give Her These While She Is Nursing And Careing For Her Pups?
Answer: I Usually Recommend Waiting Until Pups Are Weaned At 3-4 Weeks Of Age Before Resuming These Meds.
Date: 11/27/11 Cateory: Heartworm Medicine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Medication
Question: Hi. I've Skipped About 4 Mos Of Heart Worm Medication And Then Found I Had Two Doses Of Interceptor Left So Gave Them To My Long Haired White And Tan Chihuahua Consecutively For Two Months. Was That Okay To Do? Should I Get Him Tested First Before Continuing With This Medicine?
Answer: It Is Fine That You Started Monthly Heartworm Medication Again. I Would Recommend Heartworm Test At Your Next Scheduled Veterinary Appointment.
