Heartworm Symptoms In Dogs - Prevention and Medicine

Heartworm Pills For Dogs – Daily, Monthly And Even Tasty Chewables Are Available

No matter how fussy your pet is, or how easily he can find a pill and spit it back out again, there are enough varieties of heartworm pills for dogs to ensure that your best pal has one that suits his finicky style.

No matter what type of pill you or vet chooses for your pet, the ingredients will most likely include either selamectin or ivermectin. Many vets recommend that these pills should be given in addition to the usual topical treatments, especially in known areas of high infestation – regardless of how much time your dog might spend outside.

It might take some trial and error to find the perfect pill for your individual pet. In families with multiple dogs, there’s a good chance that each dog might need or do well with one particular brand vs. What his housemates take.

Years ago, the first type of pill came on the market – once which needed to be administered daily. Any dog owner knows how difficult it is to get a pill into his beloved pet, so researchers finally developed a monthly pill. Of course, this comes with risks because the level of medicine – which is tantamount to poison for the worms – can cause problems in these dosage levels.

Dogs who do take a monthly heartworm pills for dogs frequently experience some toxic side effects which can range from a simple nuisance to life threatening heart palpitations and seizures. The real problem here is that poisons tend to build up in the body and they don’t always cause an immediate reaction.

For pooches who need the pills but do everything possible to avoid them, there are some beef flavored alternatives that even the most fussy are usually more than happy to gobble up when asked to.

Whatever you do, never give your dog any type of heartworm medication without consulting with your vet and getting explicit instructions and a prescribed course of action. Because of the inherent levels of toxicity involved with these preparations, you don’t want to cause problems unnecessarily. Don’t try buying these online “without a prescription” and don’t buy generic brands you aren’t familiar with.

One pill may be too much for many dogs. Take for example a toy poodle and a Huskey. It only stands to reason that the poodle would need a lower dose than the Huskey, and therefore, giving the poodle the same pill could quickly cause disastrous side effects. Don’t self prescribe!

Heartworm Prevention For Dogs – An Ounce Of Prevention Can Mean A Long Happy Life

Heartworm prevention for dogs is a much easier method for caring for your dog than making him undergo the toxic and sometimes fatal treatments.

Heartworm is delivered by a simple mosquito bite. In geographic areas near water, it’s common to have these diseased mosquitoes all over. The assumption is that all mosquitoes carry the potentially fatal larvae that turn into the troublesome worms once they enter the dog’s bloodstream and grow uncontrollably.

The safest, but by no means easiest, method is to move your family to South Dakota where there are no known cases of heartworm in cats or dogs. If that seems out of the question, the next most effective option is simply to keep mosquitoes away from your dog. Considering we can’t even keep mosquitoes away from us most of the time, this is no easy task. However, we can be very diligent in applying ointments to our pets just as we apply them to ourselves. One trick that seems to work wonders is garlic. Bugs hate garlic, but dogs love it! Add some chopped garlic to each meal – he’ll be happy and healthy.

Healthy, active dogs have a better chance of warding off the disease even they are bitten. A strong heart and circulation, along with a healthy immune system will prevent the worms from causing any damage; they won’t be able to grow, and they won’t be able to take up residence in the vital organs like hearts and lungs.

Monthly prescription medication is the real key. It must be applied diligently – on time, in the right amount, in the right place. One tiny mistake could put your dog at risk. The medications are simple to apply actually and all you need to do is break open a capsule and squeeze it onto the back of his neck, in an area he can’t reach to lick or scratch. It sinks into the skin and enters the bloodstream immediately.

Many of these preventive medicines prevent not only heartworm but fleas, ticks, their larvae, and other types of worms.

Even though prevention is important, commonly prescribed, and in many states almost mandatory for your dog’s health, many dogs suffer serious adverse effects. These medications are strong and if applied to an ill, old, or weak dog, you could be causing some serious side effects such as seizures, paralysis or even coma. The problem is that these don’t happen right away all the time; poisons frequently build up silently in the body and it could months to tell your pet is experiencing some adverse side effects.