heartworm

[mopinko]

so, i have always wondered a little if the whole heartworm thing is mostly a scam. those scary maps where every case is a big dot so that a dozen cases cover up a whole county- classic scare tactics imho.
but i do it anyway, mostly.
it used to always be if the dog was on meds last summer, they can get them again without a test. now my vet requires a test even for dogs that were on year round. this seems to be just an inch too far to me.
i am pretty tolerant of the fact that my vet needs to make a living. getting his own practice off the ground has been very hard. but sometimes i just feel like rules are made to maximize profits.
i don't mind the meds. but a painful and expensive test for something that they are not going to find? this is just a little ott.
anyone want to share their experiences/opinions on this great threat?

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Heartworms are real. I once adopted a dog with them and the treatment

is horrible and expensive. The shelter provided 50% and I paid for the rest. I can see why it is absolutely necessary to retest if there has been a 'break' in receiving the preventative. The need to test a dog which has been on the preventative year round might be due the some of the medicines becoming less effective.

[Coyote_Bandit]

2. I've known more than a few dogs with heartworm

Heartbreaking - especially when it is preventable.

I've also known a few people who regularly buy the preventative from the vet - but are a little less diligent in giving it to their dogs. Been guilty of that myself a few times.

I use Revolution - it is a single monthly treatment that is both a heartworm and flea preventative. Flea season is virtually year round here - and I only need to remember to dispense one med. It has worked well for us. And I believe this single monthly treatment is a bit less expensive than the cost of two separate treatments.

I've got no problem with my vet doing an annual heartworm test. But then I don't harbor any suspicions that my vet is doing any kind of unnecessary stuff to run my bill up. Quite the contrary. On several occasions my vet has performed services for which she has not charged. That would include foregone charges for office calls, bloodwork and even an ultrasound. When I first took a dog to her, he was in a renal failure crisis and spent over a week in doggie hospital with fluids, meds, and repeated bloodwork. She had every opportunity to run the charges up and didn't. The total cost of that stay was $300 - and some of the lab work was charged at the grand sum or $12. Since then I've taken all my animals to her (except the bird as she is not an avian vet). In addition to her clinic, she operates a small veterinary medical rescue - which I believe has honed her veterinary skills beyond those of most metropolitan small animal clinics. In addition to treating spoiled pets like mine, she's also treating animals that have survived meth fires, been found wandering (of left tied to her door), have chronic medical conditions - and some heartworm positive doggies that other rescues/shelters here would euthanize because they lack the funds to treat them. I was in the clinic last week and saw the fifteen or so dogs they currently have - two are heartworm positive.

I realize that there are vets that exploit people financially and that I am fortunate to have found the vet I have. That said, if I did not trust my vet's medical skills or if I suspected that she was trying to run up my charges for services that were unnecessary then I would find another vet.

[get the red out]

3. I agree

The idea of my precious companion suffering from something like that because I didn't do all I could terrifies me. A close friend of mine lost a cat to heartworms. He and his partner moved from a condo to a house with a walled-in patio that the cats could go out and sun on. They had never givnen heartworm medicines because they had been strictly indoors until the move. One of their two cats died, and he believes it was as a result of heartworms they never thought to protect from.

My dog is out a lot more than my friend's cats. I think I might check into the all in one pill soon though, the regular flea treatment goops up her longish, super-soft fur something awful! I don't always apply the flea goop during the winter months, but I always give her the heartworm pill. To me there is just too much risk involved. From what I've read, if a dog is diagnosed with heartworm they have to be kept very inactive during the treatments to prevent the dying worms from causing damage as they dislodge. My dog is a two year old Aussie (or BC maybe) mix! Inactive is something she does not comprehend.

We pay for a plan at the vet that covers vet visits, shots, and certain services for a monthly fee, and an annual heart-worm test is included in that.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Our vet's not a money grubbing type; still does the every other year heartworn schedule

She is adamant that her patients get heartworm meds because it is very real.

For what its worth, she discounts the cost of the blood test if you buy the meds from her. That makes it quite a bit cheaper than even PetMeds, online when you factor in the retail cost for the blood test.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Not to be off topic but....

...I know my vet got a special deal, and I think it is going to all vets (or maybe select areas), but it is buy 6 Revolutions, get 3 free. It may be 9 months worth, and three free...I forget. However, it can come out to a really good deal once you break down the numbers, it is just the up front cost can be a bit much. I have 4 chihuahuas and a cat, so this really helped costs. It was even cheaper than Drs. Foster and Smith's site! (which is fucking awesome for deals on pet meds!!!)

[iscooterliberally]

6. If your dog has been on heartworm meds the whole time, I don't get it.

My vet told me that you should give them the meds every month, but if you missed a month it's usually OK to give them the meds right away. I adopted a dog that was HW positive in late 2009 and my vet treated him for it. I think it takes about 45-60 days for the worms to grow if your dog gets bit by a mosquito carrying it. The Heartguard (or whatever brand you use) kills them off right away. As a matter of fact I gave my dog Heartguard before he got his first shot per my Vet's instruction. He said he wanted to kill of all the 'baby worms' and sterilize the adults before he gave him the strong stuff. My vet is like family to me. We are the same age and our mothers are best friends. We didn't know each other as children, but have been friends for decades now. I don't test my dogs for heartworm, I just give them their meds and they are protected. You need to find a vet that really loves animals, and people more than money. Too many vets are salesmen and are all about the profit. If your dog is doing fine and you have been giving him/her the preventative, I would skip the test. If you have not been giving your dog the meds and your dog has a weird cough, get the test done. Anytime you adopt or find a new dog, and you don't know the dog's history you should have it tested. Anyway, that's my two cents. I hope that you and your dog(s) are doing well mopinko.

[ceile]

7. I think you have 2 separate issues here.

1 yes, heartworms are very real. my brother's dog just died a horrible death because he thought it was "old wives tale" and never in her 9 years (outside dog) had her treated. he is inconsolable and wracked with guilt.

2 it seems that the vet wants to charge for an additional test even though your pup has been on treatment for a year? I agree. unless your pup is showing symptoms, I'd order his dose online or find another vet.

[phylny]

8. Having had a shelter dog, too, who came home to us

and needed heartworm treatment, I would always pay for the test, even if you know your dog has been covered.

The vet has to cover his/her ass and protect dogs from owners who say they treat their dogs monthly, but don't. Like our Jack. Poor guy, the treatment was rough on him, and expensive for us.