Can a dog still get heartworm if.....

[fairlight]

they are already on heart worm meds?

A good freind of mine called today and said that her daughters dog has heartworm. I know this woman's daughter is an excellent owner. She rescue a lab mix named Sammy almost three years ago from her local pound in Florida. The dog has been to the vet on numerous ocassion for well vists, for shots etc.

The girl moved from Florida to NC since her husband is in the armed forces. Her new vet is now telling her that her dog has heartworm. She swears up and down that she has been current on the dogs meds. Is it possible to still get heartworm?

I spoke with my husband about this. He said he had a dog that had something wrong with it that no matter what would always come back heart worm positive. (I wish I knew the name of the disease). Yet the dog never had heartworm.

[borzoimom]

If the dog had undeveloped larve so to speak when tested or if a dose is missed- its totally possible. That is why a yearly test is required for heartworm meds, even if the dog has been on the meds. - ie if larvae is in the early stages to be detected the year before.

[BratBoxers]

Yes, it can happen.

Now to say the dog has it just because a test comes up positive does not mean the dog actually has it. First you would have to find out what test was used and then use a different testing method.

BTW missing 1 month would not cause a dog to have heartworms or even missing 3 months.

[Heart_Song]

Heartworm meds don't prevent the dog from getting infected, only from getting the disease. More specifically the meds kill any heartworm 45 days old or younger. If one month is missed (or even if it is given a few weeks late) and the dog is bitten by an infectious mosquito 45 or more days before the next treatment, then yes, the dog can absolutely become infected with heartworms. But that infection would not give a positive result on a test until the next year. So it's not a question of if the meds have been given consistantly recently, but have they been given consistantly a year ago.

The old tests that tested for antibodies could give a false positive if the dog had previously had heartworms and recovered. But the snap tests used today tests for antigens from the adult female and it is highly unlikely that they would produce a false positive.

[Dauxside]

Heartworm pills don't "keep" dogs from getting heartworm, it controls the larva that is present. The majority of these preventatives kill the heartworms before they mature. So every day or every month you give your animal that pill, you are actually administering the cure for heartworm, you're not really preventing it. So please let your friend know that she did what the veterinarian told her to do.

I use a variety of external drops to *keep* mosquitos away - yes, I use the preventative too...it's not a pretty death and the treatment is oh so debilitating for the dog.

Black Walnut (or Wormwood) rubbed into the coat will keep mosquitos away, this is a holistic approach and the meds *can* be given internally; since I'm not a veternarian, nor have studies have been done as to what side effects this plus internal meds could cause I *don't* give the drops internally...just rub it on the dog.

I'm so sorry for your friend and her dog...but again, it's not her fault.

[fairlight]

Originally Posted by BratBoxers

Yes, it can happen.

Now to say the dog has it just because a test comes up positive does not mean the dog actually has it. First you would have to find out what test was used and then use a different testing method.

BTW missing 1 month would not cause a dog to have heartworms or even missing 3 months.

You are absolutely right Brat...this is where the vets that sell heart worm meds get you. They try to push heart meds on you when you bring a puppy in and they claim you do not need bllod work. Reason being it takes up to six months for the larva to appear. Yet when the dog is 6-7 months old the vet insists on doing a HW blood test and then you start to question......my dog has been on heart worm meds for the passed 3-4 months and you want to do blood work NOW?

I have been told by a few breeders that they too skip a month or two. I am seriously thinking on doing that espcially since heart worm meds are by the poundage of the dog.

So what this new vet is doing right now for my friends daughters dog is keeping the dog in the hospital for the next three days and on one of the days they will be injected the dog (maybe in the heart??) with arsenic to kill the heart worm. They also told her that after the proceedure, the dog must remain calm for 30 days. Any activity can cause these worms to break off and restart. Please excuse my termonology because I have never heard of such a proceedure before.

Another thing.....on one of the threads of Dobermom's Darci, we were talking about Front Line and how when used regularly Frontine prevents and kills heart worm in it's early stages.

[BratBoxers]

Originally Posted by fairlight

You are absolutely right Brat...this is where the vets that sell heart worm meds get you. They try to push heart meds on you when you bring a puppy in and they claim you do not need bllod work. Reason being it takes up to six months for the larva to appear. Yet when the dog is 6-7 months old the vet insists on doing a HW blood test and then you start to question......my dog has been on heart worm meds for the passed 3-4 months and you want to do blood work NOW?

I have been told by a few breeders that they too skip a month or two. I am seriously thinking on doing that espcially since heart worm meds are by the poundage of the dog.

So what this new vet is doing right now for my friends daughters dog is keeping the dog in the hospital for the next three days and on one of the days they will be injected the dog (maybe in the heart??) with arsenic to kill the heart worm. They also told her that after the proceedure, the dog must remain calm for 30 days. Any activity can cause these worms to break off and restart. Please excuse my termonology because I have never heard of such a proceedure before.

Another thing.....on one of the threads of Dobermom's Darci, we were talking about Front Line and how when used regularly Frontine prevents and kills heart worm in it's early stages.

I would highly recommend you convince her not to do that to her dog! Also there is a better treatment now than just the arsenic. If no xrays have been done then I suggest doing so and getting away from the base vet. The dog should be put on heartgard until it is found necessary to do the fast kill method. Please convince her!!

[BratBoxers]

A positive result can come from a neg dog.

[fairlight]

Originally Posted by BratBoxers

I would highly recommend you convince her not to do that to her dog! Also there is a better treatment now than just the arsenic. If no xrays have been done then I suggest doing so and getting away from the base vet. The dog should be put on heartgard until it is found necessary to do the fast kill method. Please convince her!!

It's too late Brat. My friends daughter brought the dog in today to the vet. I called her early and let her know what my husband said about a false positive, but even then it was too late. I know nothing about this type of proceedure. The vet told my friends daughter that it was a very mild case but they can get rid of it (which probably was music to the kids ears)

[fairlight]

Originally Posted by BratBoxers

A positive result can come from a neg dog.

Like I was saying earlier......my husbands dog always came back positive but never had heartworm. After extensive testing the vet told my husband if any other vet touched his dog to let them know that the dog was not heart worm positive at all.