Help me get passed this

[Nancy0]

test (sorry trying to add siggy pic not working meh) oops never mind I figured it out.

[Cherry's Charwee]

I live in Florida too so it's just something we have to do due to the climate. I do minimal vacs (rabies only after 1st year of puppy shots) and only use flea/tick preventative as needed and not monthly. I hate pumping all these toxins in their body cause their organs do have to process it so I try to be reasonable and just do what is absolutely necessary.

[Charlotte K.]

Ok before the board went down I had a thread about heart worm preventative. Up until last Friday I have never given the boys heart worm preventative.I did have them tested twice yearly though. They both got Heartgard Plus. I keep getting updates from CAPC how there are now 66 cases reported in San Diego. I freaked and showed the email update to my vet.Though she told me they have yet to see a case at the clinic it is on the rise. She really didn't say yes you need to do this or no you don't need to worry. A few years ago both vets at the clinic would tell me we didn't need heart worm preventative. They no longer say one way or the other. My friend has a lab who never gave heart worm preventative either until last year. Her friend's dog got heart worm - that friend lives in a community not far from here.

Here is my hangup. I know so many of you give heart worm preventative because you are in a high risk area - I get that. There is no way around it. I honestly believe these preventatives using them month after month, year after year can cause autoimmune disease and even cancer. I know some of you will say getting heart worm is worse. My first lab Cooper was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and then cancer. He got heartgard month after month, year after year. I wish there were studies on the long term use of these preventative, but there are not. And I am not saying the heartgard caused this - I am sure many things did. The preventative is not a preventative at all. When we give heart worm medication we are actually treating the dog with the cure. What are your thoughts? I guess I am not comfortable giving the preventative nor am I comfortable not giving them. So sorry if this sounds paranoid. I am literally scarred after what I went through with Cooper.

Thanks
Nancy

Any of you have/had a dog on heart worm meds given month after month year after year and your dog lived to a very old age? Just curious. Doreen did, but I don't know if she gave the preventative year round. Here in San Diego it is suggested because of our warmer climate to give year round.

I don't give month after month, as we have a cold spell in the winter.
Here is a devil's advocate sort of link.
Terrierman's Daily Dose: The Billion Dollar Heartworm Scam
On the one hand, he says Heartguard dose is too low. He wrote that HW treatment is easy, but that was before occasional shortages of doxycycline and the immiticide, so HW treatment is not as easy now as it was in 2010 when he wrote this. For most people, dosing with agricultural products is a road to overdosing. OTH, I do know breeders who use the injectable Ivomec in their breeding population to use as HW "preventative." One Cavalier breeder is in a scientific field, so that is easier for her than for most of us mere mortals. My vet prefers Revolution, as it also treats and prevents scabies, more prevalent lately in wildlife and therefore more common in pet dogs. I wonder if the lack of Interceptor gave it a boost, as many of us who used it could not get it and switched meds. Interceptor was considered the better of the monthly meds to give by a different vet, a holistic vet we use for some things. I don't know what she prefers now.

What about a compromise rather than totally skipping the pills? Frankly, Nancy, if you do the every 42 days, you are way ahead of where you have been giving no HW medicine, especially with a potential breeding ground in the canal. I think that it could be a good idea to occasionally treat your dogs for roundworms. Or you could give the low dose of Sentinel, just enough to kill the baby heartworms.

[3ChocMom]

I understand your concern, having lost a dog to cancer. But I will tell you this. My parents adopted a black lab from my rescue several years ago. Shane was never kept on HW prevention and came to us HW positive. We treated him and he went to live in MI with my parents. They only give HW prevention in the spring/summer, not year round. He died from lymphoma at 6 years old. I often wonder if the immiticide used to treat his HW disease played a role in that. There is a risk, I suppose, but I think it exists either way. I give it year round because I live in Florida and don't have a choice.

[voodoo]

in my opinion, cancer is more determined by genetics and the food we eat than by medicine. one example is Japanese people who smoke/drink daily and live to avg age of 90+. genetics and food. excersise/work plays a great lifestyle role also, but wont override genetics/food. just think of all the chemicals that are in the food we eat from farms and grocery stores...they are far worse than an approved medicine imo. anyways/rant off...

[Nancy0]

I made a decision - finally. I've decided to give just Heartgard (actually a generic and not the plus so it will just be ivermectin) every 45 days. This is what I am most comfortable with. I know some will disagree on the 45 day interval, but I have to do what I feel is right for my dogs in my area. Thanks for all the responses. Nancy

[LuckyLuna]

I think you made a good decision Nancy for your dogs and for where you live. I bet it will all go well.