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Heart worms medication are this medicine important to all the dogs?
I have not given my dog any medications, now his two year +, what should i do?
12 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
First of all you need to go to your vet and get a heartworm check to see if he is positive or negative and then start to get the medication. Yes it is very important for all dogs, especialy if they go outside, and also especially if there are mosquitos where you live. I had a dog die from heartworms and it was very sad.
Here are some websites that may be helpful and explain why.
Hope this helps
Crystal
Source(s): http://heartgard.us.merial.com/whyheartgard/why_he... http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/hw.html - skachicah35Lv 41 decade ago
First i would take him to the vet to get a heart worm test done. While it's relatively unlikely with the current meds, there is a chance that if you start the meds and your dog does have heart worm, it could kill them. If you live in an area where there are mosquitoes, you need to be medicating against heart worms. Treatment for heartworm is very intensive, and expensive. It is far cheaper to do the prevention. In addition most of the prevention on the market today also has some intestinal parasite prevention, and one of the major brands has flea prevention as well.
- 1 decade ago
Heartworms are very bad. Can be fatal if not taken care of.
If you take your pet to the vet, the vet can run a simple, quick snap test, (after drawing a sample of the dogs blood) to check if he is heartworm positive or negative.
It is important to start your dog on heartworm medication as soon as you can though.
Most people use it starting in June and go until November. (Just in the warmer seasons when the mosquitos are around alot more)..
If you are in a climate that does not get a snowy winter. You should use it all of the time.
Not only does heartguard protect against heartworm, it can also protect against certain types of internal parasites( intestinal worms).
Start soon plz =)
Source(s): vet tech - Anonymous1 decade ago
A Vet needs to test his blood to see if he is heartworm negative or not. If he is heartworm negative then he can be started on monthly heartworm prevention medicine. It's important not to miss a dose. Give him heartworm preventative even in the winter and there are no mosquitoes around because a dog can contract them in the spring and then they will be developing during the winter mos. That is one reason Vets test them at least yearly to make sure they are still heartworm negative. Also make sure that if your dog gains weight the prevention still is enough for his weight. Not enough medicine to prevent this is another reason dogs contract heartworms even when given prevention. Heartworms can be very serious as the adult worms literally clog a heart and eventually kill the dog. Heartworm treatment is hard on a dog. Don't give your dog heartworm prevention medicine before having him tested because if he is positive the preventative medicine can harm him.
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- smurfLv 41 decade ago
Yes they are important. As it sounds by the name, there are worms that will infect your dog and attack internal organs including their heart. Your dog may have them and you don't know it YET.
Before anyone starts your dog on heartworm medication it'll need a blood test to confirm it's not currently infected with heartworms, than you can dose preventively. There are several good brands on the market that also treat fleas and other issues so discuss med choices with your vet. If $$ is a concern you can recieve this test and meds from low cost vaccination clinics in your area (probably).
- 5 years ago
By and large no longer, however it has nothing to do with making the nail bleed. Some men and women do clip/grind the nail and make it bleed a bit of to set the rapid back shorter. My motive would be due to the fact I don't know how correct it could be, and typically tests can be messed up in transport. For the price, i'd just have it accomplished by means of my Vet. Add: One other thing involves mind. Regardless of what the outcome came again as, WOULD a Vet either provide heartworm cure or a preventative considering that of those results? I doubt it.
- mcmahenLv 45 years ago
in all probability no longer, besides the shown fact that it has no longer something to do with making the nail bleed. some human beings do clip/grind the nail and make it bleed a sprint to set the fast back shorter. My reason could be because of fact i don't know how precise it would be, and each so often checks could be tangled up in transport. For the cost, i might in basic terms have it achieved with the help of my Vet. upload: another factor comprises techniques. in spite of what the outcomes got here back as, might a Vet the two supply heartworm medical care or a preventative because of fact of those consequences? I doubt it.
- 1 decade ago
Canine heartworm disease occurs all over the world. In the United States, it was once limited to the south and southeast regions. However, the disease is spreading and is now found in most regions of the United States and Canada, particularly where mosquitoes are prevalent.
The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog. An intermediate host,
the mosquito, is required for transmission. Spread of the disease therefore
coincides with the mosquito season. The number of dogs infected and the
length of the mosquito season are directly correlated with the incidence of
heartworm disease in any given area.
Please check out the link below for more helpful info
- blondeqtpie13Lv 61 decade ago
Take your dog to the vet to have him tested. If he is negative, the Vet will give him heartguard. Heartworms are a serious matter. It can cost as much as $500 to treat it and then it's not always guaranteed to work. It can be fatal. And it is easy to contract especially if your dog spends any time outside, which, being a dog, I imagine he does. Besides, heartguard keeps other worms at bay, as well.
Source(s): I'm a Vet Tech - 1 decade ago
Yes it is very important! It's not going to be a problem that you havnt had it done before, but you must get your dog to a Vet. He will need to be tested for heartworm before you can give the meds, you should also have other standard tests and vaccinations done while you are there! Lyme, Bordetella, and Rabies vaccinations are also very important!