[mwfulkerson]

I was talking with my Vet today,he told me he saw more heartworm in his practice in 2005 than any other year in business.I was wondering if it was only in louisvile,Kentucky or was it a nation wide spike in heartworm cases?Could mean trouble for not only the basset but the pet population as a whole.

 

[biscuit]

I'll bet it's nationwide. We've been having terrible problems with heartworm here for a couple of years, but I've noticed the vets seem to be getting even more vigilant about testing, etc. At least, that's my impression from my vet and from what I've heard from other people.

I wonder if they're being even more vigilant than usual because they've been seeing more cases of it?

In any case, definitely not a good time to be a stray pet or pet of someone who doesn't provide adequate vet care.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reminder, guys. Time to take Francis to the vet for his annual "tune-up" and get his heartworm checked.

 

[pinehawk]

i use equimax year round.it is the only stuff that will take care of heartworm,ring,whip,hook,and tapeworms.

 

[mwfulkerson]

I`ve given mine wormer that was left over from worming our cows in the past.But I have not tried horsewormer.I was led to believe that no common stock wormer prevents heartworm.

 

[Soundtrack]

I thought Ivomec was a stock wormer? But I'm easily confused.

 

[pinehawk]

ivomec is in it.we have been using cattle/swine injectable Ivomec for years.My Uncle will buy a bottle and cut it with Propyl Glycol,B/4 it's cut it's good for a 110 pound animal,after it's cut it's good for a 55 pound animal per CC or Ml which ever you prefer.we than take 1CC for a adult Basset mix it with some sardines that we put in there food and we never have a case of heartworm.I found out about the Equimax from the SPO Beagler website and have been using that for the last year and have had no problems at all.the equimax will kill any and all worms( tape ) included.it costs me about $48 dollars a year for 3 dogs.now for the disclaimer...i am not telling anyone to use this or to do this.i have been doing this on my own and from what i have learned from others who i trusted.

 

[Soundtrack]

I know a shar pei breeder who does the same with the ivomec, with her vet's blessing. But I would suggest discussing with a vet before trying this yourself.

 

[dean wickwire]

On the advice of a friend ( a chemist for one of the manufacturers) swine or bovine Ivermectin given orally at a dose of 0.1cc/10lbs of bodyweight will prevent heart worms and kill all worms except tape. --- also check www.espomagazine.com/vet/jan96.htm

 

[mwfulkerson]

I have a tube of fenbendazole paste I was going to use this spring(had my wife break down how many cc per lb dosage).Of course my Vet cautions and tells me story`s of people who killed their dog.But after going through a slow winter with my business,hounds have been eating (Old yeller kroger brand) at $10 a 50lb because the family budget had to be trimmed.So of course I`m trying to save money on worming 13 hounds.
I have lost a hound to heartworm when I was young(Too poor to afford care).Monday morning the hound was off his food ,Wed. morning he was dead.When my Dad cut that young hound`s chest open and took his heart out and brought it to me to see... that`s the day I cursed and cried the word Heartworm.Because a breeder had given Dad the redbone hound he warned him to have his hounds checked.
I hate heartworms.

 

[Dean]

I use the horse paste when needed. It is the same medication. I do know of a beagle apparently killed by an overdose. The owner gave the 25 lb hound enough for about 400 lbs. Not sure I would blame the medication. If you read the info on fenben, it is very well tolerated even when overdosed.

 

[pinehawk]

Dean your numbers are correct if the product is not diluted,we dilute ours.i screwed up with the ivermectin one month and gave all the dogs 4cc ( diluted this was enough for a 200 lb animal) and had no adverse effect luckily.

 

[Anonymous]

I live in a city in Wisc. My vet. told me the exact thing last fall. Told me to keep him on his Heartguard and the frontline plus all year round.Happy to be a slave for Tummy Boy.

 

[Mikey T]

Collies and related hearding breeds have been know to have been killed by ivermectin in doses approximately 5 times the theraputic dose but other breeds of dog do not appear as sensitive.

Which Heartworm Preventative Is Safe For My Border Collie? Heather's other dog web site has info on the gene mutation that cause, increased sensitivity to ivermectin.
". Levels of ivermectin shown to cause toxicity in beagles, a breed that does not have the mdr1 mutation are 2.5 - 40 mg/kg which is greater than 200 times the therapeutic dose. "

all important to keep in my the theraputic level is lower in dogs than it is in cattle. You will over does a dog by using cattle/sheep doseage.
"The normal dose of ivermectin used for prevention of heartworm in products such as Heartguard (6 micrograms/kg) is not documented to cause the toxicity associated with this mrd1 mutation in collies or any other dog. It is only when higher doses are used, often by people mistakenly thinking the cattle/sheep dose is appropriate for dogs, that toxic symptoms appear in susceptible dogs. "

The Life cycle of ivermectin is not that as truely a preventative. It does not stay in the blood stream that long. Theoretically dog could go every 60 days with treatment an still be covered. The problem is if one is off a bit as usually happen from time to time the margin of safety is gone.

Harworm Society guide lines for Vets
"The single dose retroactive efficacy of all these macrocyclic lactones is assured for one month, and remains high for at least an additional month. However, efficacy against older larvae declines and requires progressively longer-term administration as the worms age to achieve a high level of protection. The extended post-infection efficacy of the macrocyclic lactones is a safeguard in the event of inadvertent delay or omission of regularly scheduled doses and does not justify lengthening the recommended one month interval of administration for the oral and topical formulations. "

 

[biscuit]

Bassets aren't collies.

 

[Betsy Iole]

Billy, how did you get your dogs to swallow 4 cc??? Mine strenuously object to me shooting a fraction of a cc down their throats with a tuberculin syringe!

 

[Barbara Winters]

Michael started this thread saying

I was talking with my Vet today,he told me he saw more heartworm in his practice in 2005 than any other year in business

.
I've heard of several cases of dogs that were on heartworm medication that ended up heartworm positive and often thought well maybe there were missed doses that the owner didn't report.

It appears however that there have been reports of failures of monthly heartworm treatments in cases where there is reasonable certainty that heartworm prophylaxis and testing fell within the prescribed guidelines.

Surveillance of these reports indicates some failures in all product categories but manufacturer reporting was not uniform until the new rule was enacted in July 2003. Most failures are reported in heartworm endemic states and approximately 18% of all reports have credible purchase and testing history. At this time, it is unclear whether these whether these increases, especially in older monthly oral preventatives, are representative of small failures that have always occurred, or whether there is a true increase in emerging resistance or failures in product efficacy.

The American Heartworm Society has recommended a return to a more conservative testing schedule. I assume this means yearly.
So I wonder Michael if the increase your vet is seeing in the numbers of heartworm cases might in part be do to the heartworms becoming resistant to Heartguard, Interceptor and other products?
CheckoutHeartworm Concerns and read what the pet whisperer has to say. Glad I don't watch TV.

[ March 24, 2006, 12:12 AM: Message edited by: Barbara Winters ]

 

[Mikey T]

"read what the pet whisperer has to say. Glad I don't watch TV."

FWIW Barb The Dog Whisperer on TV is Cesar Millan. Paul Owens wrote a Dog training book called "The Dog Whisperer" that predated the TV show. An in this Case the "Pet Whisperer" is a Vet who's name is 'Dr.Stephen Blake' graduated from Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1973 but a visit to his web site bio gives you all the info needed
:roll:

In the early 1980s I became very ill, and I was lucky to find a homeopathic physician, Dr Gutu, who diagnosed pesticide toxicity. His advice was to stop being a veterinarian or wear rubber gloves or die. The gloves lasted about one patient and I knew that wasn’t going to work. I decided to require all clients not to use pesticides on their pets, or I couldn’t see them.

To my amazement I got busier than ever and realized I had to learn new methods for caring for animals if chemicals were out. Where was I going to find this training? The answer came quickly. I met a fellow veterinarian, Dr. Carvel Tiegert, at a conference where he asked me a simple question, ‘Do you think vitamins are important in treating animals?’ I answered ‘yes’ and he put me on a quest to learn as much as I can about alternative medicine.

I have been certified by the Homeopathic Veterinary Academy as a Homeopathic Veterinarian and as a Veterinary Acupuncturist by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. I mainly use Aromatherapy, Classical Homeopathy, Bach Flowers, massage, acupuncture and nutrition to care for my patients.

[ March 24, 2006, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: Mikey T ]

 

[pinehawk]

Betsy,when you become a Master of the Hounds like i am you can make them to do anything!!!!! Now do you want to know my secret? OK i won't make you wait,i gave you the answer b/4...Sardines, mix the ivermectin with them in their food,plus it's good for them to a nice healthy treat,i just love the way their breath smells afterwards!!!!

[ March 25, 2006, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: pinehawk ]

 

[Betsy Iole]

Fish breath. Blech. I'll take wrestling with them over that.