My dog is sick

[dbgun]

We got a beautiful Lab a couple of months ago. I have really gotten attach to this dog. His dog tags came off his collar and the previous owner couldn’t remember the place where the lab had his shots. I decided to go ahead and take him to the Vet, to get him a complete checkup. Well he came up positive for Heartworms. I have him on some vitamins for 10 days before he starts his 3 injection treatment. I think he’ll be ok, but only time will tell. Has anybody had their dog go through this treatment? I’ve been reading up on this problem, but would like to hear some firsthand experience.

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[ZX9RCAM]

Best of luck to you & your dog! Mine means the world to me!

 

[Hawghauler]

I hope your dog gets better.

 

[DCortez]

My wife recalls a conversation with the vet about heartworms a few years back. She thinks he said it was $250 to treat the dog and would require an overnight stay.


When the vet walked out, another customer said their dog has had heartworms for 10 years.

 

[Big country]

I have not had to treat one for heart worms after they had contracted them. But if you remember a while back I had to put one of my dogs down because she was to far gone from heart worms to treat and the treatment would have killed her slowly. Now My other two are on preventive treatment for the nasty little worms after they both tested negative. I wish you and your dog the best and I'm glad yall caught it before it was to late.

 

[MadMo44Mag]

Heart worms are problematic in some breeds and others it's doesn't seem to affect that much.
That's a large dog and young, treatment would be a good option.
The cure is the same compound as the preventive but different strengths.
In some dogs it makes them very sick and in other mildly sick.
I wish you luck; I've been there and done that - best wishes!!!!

 

[Skip]

Really hope everything works out ok, Our pets are an important part of out lives....sending positive thoughts...

 

[Shorts]

Best wishes getting your pup healthy.

Chester's clean for them and we keep him on a monthly preventative, Revolution. Done so since we brought him home from the breeder. It's solid.

 

[Tass]

db,

PM sent.

Tass

 

[dbgun]

Tass,

PM replied to.

 

[rsayloriii]

I had a full-blooded German Shepard that was diagnosed with heart worms. Lived to be 10 before he got congestive heart failure and we had to put him down. Soon after putting him down, we got a Collie/Doberman mix and she was diagnosed with heart worms. She's around 10 now and still kicking. Know it's probably not going to be too long before she dies too, but 10 years for a full size dog is around normal.

 

[TxEMTP69]

hope your dog gets better, I know how they aren't really pets, but family.

 

[dbgun]

She's around 10 now and still kicking

I have been hearing a lot of comments like that, so I'm really geeting my hopes up, that this "big" boy is going to pull through ok.

By the way... thanks everyone for the "well wishes".

 

[Maverick88]

Hope your dog gets better dbgun. I have a 2yr black lab and he was diagnosed with heart worms when we got him from the animal shelter. I called about 10 diffrent vets to get advice on what to do, before I found one that told me that I could either give him the injections or put him on Heart Guard which may or may not get all the worms out. I chose Heart Guard. Couldn't stand to see him suffer thru the injections.We will get him
checked again this December a year from when we got him.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I keep all my dogs on monthly doses of Heartguard.

My understanding (& it could very well be incorrect) is that feeding Human food (leftovers) to
Dogs is a big factor of causing Heartworms.

 

[DCortez]

I keep all my dogs on monthly doses of Heartguard.

My understanding (& it could very well be incorrect) is that feeding Human food (leftovers) to
Dogs is a big factor of causing Heartworms.

We use Heartguard. Never heard about the leftovers thing. We never feed or treat our pets human food.

 

[dbgun]

From what I've been reading and what I was told by the Vet, was that only a bite from a mosquito that has bitten an infected dog, will cause your dog to get infected. The previous owner told me yesterday that the Lab had gone about two months without Heartgard, because they ran out. I read that you can get a way with one month but two months is a very big risk.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

From what I've been reading and what I was told by the Vet, was that only a bite from a mosquito that has bitten an infected dog, will cause your dog to get infected. The previous owner told me yesterday that the Lab had gone about two months without Heartgard, because they ran out. I read that you can get a way with one month but two months is a very big risk.

A quick use of my GOOGLEFOO shows that you are correct, I swear I was told that by a Vet.....I must be confused, happens more & more these days, lol...

 

[dbgun]

We never feed or treat our pets human food.

I'll feed them beef rib bones, which isn't very often.

 

[Flashcb]

Human food has nothing to do with it, the rib bones don't hurt either.
Treated 3 dogs for the heartworms. One a Dalmation years ago got the arsenic shots, barely slowed him down (tried to keep him as quiet as I could). Two was another Dalmation that tested positive but did not have circulating microfillaria(sp). treated him with HeartGuard (I beleive), kept him from getting new ones and eventually the old ones died out (He still tested positive for a number of years though). Third is a German Shepard mix treated with the Heartgurd as well, though she got steroids for a week or two prior to starting the HG.
It will help immensely if you keep the same vet for a while; not only do they 'know' the dog, you don't have to explain the tx everytime a test is done and the results are positive.