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Barnyard Buddies:  Heartworm medication  |
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bellaboo
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
christine
millsap
tx
USA
19 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 12 2010 : 7:59:25 PM
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What are your opinions on giving routine preventive heartworm medications to your dogs and even your cats? Growing up we never gave this medication and it seemed our pets lived about the same amount of time. I love my animals very much but you wonder how necessary some of this is? I know what the vets say but I believe doctors over prescribe and maybe the vets now days do too.
be yourself everyone else is already taken! |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1152 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1152 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2010 : 8:25:29 PM
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Since you're in TX (like me) mosquitos are active pretty much year round, therefore it is recommended to give preventative year-round. I am still not really sold on cat preventative. I do not give my cats heartworm meds, I admit. My dogs are on it year-round, though. It's very common down here for dogs and causes so many problems if they do get them, I figure that 5 bucks a month isn't too bad for preventative. (I give the generic pills)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2010 : 5:17:40 PM
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I once had a dog who died from heartworms because no one would help me take him to the vet (this was when I still lived at home). I swore no dog of mine would ever go through that again. It's a terrible thing to have happen to an animal. so I believe strongly in giving a heartworm preventive. It prevents a lot of needless suffering for both animal and the person who cares for it.
Cindy
"There is more to life than increasing its speed". Mahatma Gandhi
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Karrieann
True Blue Farmgirl
1900 Posts
Karrieann
Northeast
Georgia
USA
1900 Posts |
Posted - Dec 13 2010 : 7:39:56 PM
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I strongly believe in preventives for heartworm! After going through to save Mr. Peabody's life... there is no reason that any pet should have to go through that when there are stuff to keep it from happening. Think about the cost differences alone! preventives is roughly 45 every three months for two of my dogs... the heartworm treatments can easily run from $ 400.00 USD over six weeks.
....animals get heartworm positive from mosquitos ..no other way.
I believe that Mr.Peabody got dumped because his previous owners did not want to treat him due to the costs.... all they had to do was give him a piece of edible heart worm preventive to begin with.
I am not being harsh at you or anyone on here.. but this with Mr.Peabody gets me riled ....really riled... and tears me up too.
it is cheaper and healthier to prevent!
Karrieann ~ Farmgirl Sister #766 (29 Sept 2009)
My Blog: ...following my heart, dreams and Jesus
...http://karrieann-followingmyheartandjesus.blogspot.com/
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Edited by - Karrieann on Dec 13 2010 7:40:58 PM |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2010 : 07:54:06 AM
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We absolutely have our boys on heartworm meds and don't think twice about it, why let them become sick when it can be prevented. We give them flea meds too not just for the fleas but that is where tape worms come from
Kathy |
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bellaboo
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
christine
millsap
tx
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2010 : 5:01:37 PM
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Thank you all for your feed back. I had mine on heartworm medication and then just let it lapse so will see about getting them back on it. I know you have to have them retested before starting on the med again. Just curious why you think it is not worth it to give to cats? Is it not as common in cats? I give a garlic supplement to my horse and cow to help keep the flies off them and use the liquid med Frontline on my dogs you put on their neck to prevent ticks and fleas. Just didn't know about the heartworm med. Thanks for your input.
be yourself everyone else is already taken! |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Dec 20 2010 : 5:52:38 PM
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http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/health/canine-heartworms-and-inexpensive-prevention If you go to this site, it will explain heartworm and etc. but the best part of this site is they explain how to use ivermectin cattle wormer to use as a heartwormer for you dogs. I have used this for years and have had no problems and it costs about 50 cents a month per dog. it just sits on the shelf, no refridgeration, is the same medication that is in heartgard and is not hard to do. takes a few extra minutes than just handing your dog a pill but because I have 8 dogs saves me lots of money. make sure it is just the ivermectin not the ivermectin plus that has other stuff in it that is not for dogs. read the article and then you decide....
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett
Beverley with an extra E...
https://sites.google.com/site/bevsdoggies/
http://bevsdoggies.blogspot.com/ |
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Countrysidegirl
Farmgirl in Training
23 Posts
Kellie
Yakima
WA
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - Dec 21 2010 : 10:03:39 AM
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Even in the city limits of Little Rock, AR the mosquitos were bad enough that our dog got heart worms. You have to give them the meds on time everytime. Sometimes it will take a year for the worms to show up after a lapse in meds. Our older dog got it and we couldn't give him treatment because he wouldn't survive it. The two strays that showed up right before he passed away were tested and came back negative, so we decided to keep them, gave them shots and gave them regular meds. A year later one of them had HW. It cost us almost $500 to get him treated. He was young enough that he could handle it. It is very rough on a dog to get HW and even rougher to go thru the treatment. If I move back to Arkansas, I may or may not get another dog because it is so easy for them to get them. Here in WA we live in an area that we dont have to worry about it.
~Countrygirl forced to live in the city making the best of what she's got~ |
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Barnyard Buddies: Heartworm medication |
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Heartworm medication
