My dog has heartworms - vet recommendations?

[JayhawkTransplant]

I adopted my dog a year ago, and aside from getting her spayed, she took her first trip to an Oklahoma City vet this weekend. Unfortunately, I found out that she has heartworms, and she has probably had them for at least a year (so they're pretty advanced).

I really like the vet that I took her to, but I'd like to do a little research for treatment options. The vet will be contacting me early this week to tell me the prognosis/treatment quote. I realize that every case is different, but this is going to be a big procedure, so I want to

Has anyone here ever gotten a dog treated for heartworms? Were you happy with how the vet handled it? Which vet did you use?

[PennyQuilts]

I can't recommend a specific vet for heartworms but I have friends in rescue who have had to deal with that. Most of the time it has gone well but the dog had to be crated and confined for lengthy periods between treatments. I wish you the best and have my fingers crossed for your girl.

[BBatesokc]

When it comes to pets I most often consider cost first - I know many people who consider their pet as part of their family and spare no expense, but I'm not one of those people.

I've found that the Southside Dog Cat and Bird Clinic (on South Shields Blvd.) has really good and caring vets and their prices are often the lowest in the city. It is not the fanciest clinic, you often have to wait for awhile (no appointments) and the desk staff can be kinda rude.

http://www.southsideclinic.com/

[PennyQuilts]

When it comes to pets I most often consider cost first - I know many people who consider their pet as part of their family and spare no expense, but I'm not one of those people.

I've found that the Southside Dog Cat and Bird Clinic (on South Shields Blvd.) has really good and caring vets and their prices are often the lowest in the city. It is not the fanciest clinic, you often have to wait for awhile (no appointments) and the desk staff can be kinda rude.

http://www.southsideclinic.com/

That "recommendation" made me laugh!

[BBatesokc]

Anyone crazy enough to spend 4x as much for the same result (in this case, cured heart worm) makes me laugh.

[SoonerQueen]

We use the Wedgewood Animal Clinic on the NW Expressway by Fridays. They are very nice there. Hopefully they can help your dog. We give ours heart worm pills every month to prevent it.

[MsDarkstar]

I had to have my female (basenji/border collie mix) treated for heartworms this summer. We went to Dr. Brown & Dr. Riddle at Animal Medical Center of Midwest City and were VERY happy. They were extremely affordable, and have given her excellent care. She had her first treatment in June; I dropped her off first thing in the morning, they gave her an injection & kept her all day. I brought her home that night & kept her calm and quiet for a month. In July I took her back for her follow up visit; dropped her off first thing in the morning, they gave her an injection, kept her overnight and gave her a 2nd injection the next morning. We've got an appointment next week for another blood test to make sure she's in the clear. When it was all said & done, I'd spent right around $300 - this included her regular appointment for shots & her blood test, where we discovered the worms, as well as xrays of her chest, the 3 injections, and one night's boarding.

[Thunder]

This is why everyone should be giving their dogs the heartworm prevention pills once monthly.

[MsDarkstar]

For the record, my dogs were both on the topical preventative recommended & purchased at the vet's office. In the spring they went to the groomer's just a couple of days after their monthly application. As best as we (the vet & myself) can figure, even though it's supposed to be safe to have them bathed fairly soon after topical application it didn't quite work out as planned. Either the groomer used a harsher shampoo or I didn't get it applied to her correctly (she's got a pretty thick coat which tends to get in the way of everything). Either way, what's done is done and fortunately we caught it very very early and I've now got them both on oral preventative.

[JayhawkTransplant]

This is why everyone should be giving their dogs the heartworm prevention pills once monthly.

I agree wholeheartedly. My dog has been on preventative medication since she's been in my care. I adopted her about a year ago, and the vet thinks that she came to me with heartworms. It upsets me terribly to know that she has had them all this time. They are probably pretty advanced.

The vet quoted me $550 to $750, depending on whether she needs two or three treatments. MsDarkStar, I might have to check out your vet. I do love my vet, though, so it will take some careful consideration. $250 extra is a big difference, though.

[fred33colors]

I adopted my dog a year ago, and aside from getting her spayed, she took her first trip to an Oklahoma City vet this weekend. Unfortunately, I found out that she has heartworms, and she has probably had them for at least a year (so they're pretty advanced).

I really like the vet that I took her to, but I'd like to do a little research for treatment options. The vet will be contacting me early this week to tell me the prognosis/treatment quote. I realize that every case is different, but this is going to be a big procedure, so I want to

Has anyone here ever gotten a dog treated for heartworms? Were you happy with how the vet handled it? Which vet did you use?

AHA i have no idea about it,you had better to go the pets doctor.

[t3h_wookiee]

For the record, my dogs were both on the topical preventative recommended & purchased at the vet's office. In the spring they went to the groomer's just a couple of days after their monthly application. As best as we (the vet & myself) can figure, even though it's supposed to be safe to have them bathed fairly soon after topical application it didn't quite work out as planned. Either the groomer used a harsher shampoo or I didn't get it applied to her correctly (she's got a pretty thick coat which tends to get in the way of everything). Either way, what's done is done and fortunately we caught it very very early and I've now got them both on oral preventative.

Topical? Are you thinking of flea prevention instead of heartworm prevention? I've only ever seen pills for heartworm, like Interceptor, Heartguard, etc.

[MsDarkstar]

No, they've got topical now - Advantage multi.

[PennyQuilts]

My friends in rescue with dogs getting heartworm treatment describe the same sort of treatment as did Ms.Darkstar.

[dismayed]

My vet says heartworm has been really bad the last year or two in the region... that he is seeing cases in dogs that are even on heartworm pills.

Treatment is going to cost probably $300 - 500. They will have to inject your dog deep in his hind quarters with arsenic. It does carry some risk with the procedure, that is why they like to keep the dog overnight. The thing about the arsenic injection (usually it is a set of two... but depending on how advanced it is in your dog you may have to go back for more than one set of injections) is that it slowly kills off the heartworms, and as they die they sort of just break down in your dogs heart. It is really, really important to keep your dog confined to a crate for several months following the procedure -- any exercise that gets your dog's heart pumping could be fatal. This is because if his heart gets pumping too hard it will cause some of the dead worms to break free before they are broken down and if they're too big they could get lodged somewhere and cause an embolism or a heart attack. Don't even let your dog go to the bathroom unleashed. You may even want to give your dog a blood thinner such as aspirin to help out... your vet could instruct you on the correct dose of baby aspirin for your dog's weight. The key thing is keep him confined. It is the worst part about treating this disease because it seems so cruel -- but it will save your dog's life.

As far as treatment the arsenic injections are really your only option at this point and are highly recommended.

If you do all of the above, odds are your dog should be just fine. I'd get him on Interceptor or something like that as soon as the treatment is done. With Interceptor even if your dog were infected again if he's consistently on it the worms will only be able to progress to a certain stage before dieing off.

If you will Google "heart worm treatment" or something like that you'll find lots of information on this subject. Read through it a bit and when you talk to your vet just make sure he is saying the same types of things that you are reading. Really there are lots of great vets around town... just make sure that what they are saying seems to match up with what you are reading. Good luck!

[Thunder]

What are the signs of having heartworms you all discovered? That is surprising to read that they can still get it while on the pills. :-(

[PennyQuilts]

What are the signs of having heartworms you all discovered? That is surprising to read that they can still get it while on the pills. :-(

Thunder, I don't know the signs of heartworm but I have also heard that there has been an upswing in cases in other regions, as well. The speculation I've heard is that the increased number may be because so many people are out of work and they either are skipping doses or delaying them, leaving a gap of vulnerability.

[dismayed]

What are the signs of having heartworms you all discovered? That is surprising to read that they can still get it while on the pills. :-(

Heartworm is transmitted via mosquito bite; basically larvae are carried in the mosquito and delivered into the dog's blood stream. Over a course of maybe six months the little creeps are growing and navigating their way to your dog's heart, where they finally settle and anchor themselves.

There really is no good way to tell if your dog has heart worms without a blood test from the vet. Usually when you actually see the signs, it is almost too late because it means the worms have burrowed through your dog's heart and weakened it. But they are basically the same things that you see in humans who have heart disease -- shortness of breath, loss of energy and appetite, etc.

Heartworm is also detectable via stethoscope by listening for a heart murmur, but you really want to catch it before it gets that far. Just have your vet do a blood test once a year, it isn't that expensive.

Thunder I didn't mean to worry you! It's just like any other vaccination, there's always some small percent of folks who still get whatever disease they've been vaccinated against. Odds are all is fine. Also if your dogs are indoor pets the chances of getting heartworm goes way way down (because of not being out in the environment with the mosquitoes).

[Thunder]

.... I get many mosquito bites...and I'm not taking any heartworm prevention pills. :-(

[fuzzytoad]

.... I get many mosquito bites...and I'm not taking any heartworm prevention pills. :-(

you prolly need to be taken for a dip...

[JayhawkTransplant]

What are the signs of having heartworms you all discovered? That is surprising to read that they can still get it while on the pills. :-(

The vet told me that growing tired more easily (not being able to run as much, for instance), panting more excessively, and a decrease in appetite are signs. That isn't so helpful for the summer months, though it it?

Thanks for all of the help so far--one more question. I talked to one of my friends that rescues dogs, and she has treated several for heartworms. She said that there is a topical cream that she found that she put on the dogs AFTER the treatment that helped with the discomfort. She said that my dog's back will be very sore after the injections, and the topical cream helped with that discomfort. She couldn't remember the name of it, however. It sounds a little silly...a topical cream for muscle discomfort...like BenGay?!?! Has anyone ever used something topical on the dog after the procedure?

[MsDarkstar]

When they did Chloe's procedure, they shaved spot about as big around as a plum on her back between her spine & right hip & they inject the medicine very deep into the muscle there. She was pretty sore that first night, looked like she had jelly legs when she walked & had a terrible time getting comfy for sleep. I ended up sleeping sitting up on the sofa so I could hold her in my lap all night, as it seemed to be the only way she could relax. I didn't put anything topical on her, just gave her a little vet-approved pain killer. The main issue we ran into was that she had razor burn from where she was shaved! She's got really sensitive skin & just reacted badly to being shaved - it actually scabbed over! I took her back a month later for Injection #'s 2 & 3 and they didn't shave her as close as before so fortunately we didn't run into the same issue. Injection #2 was done on the other side of her spine, and #3 was done the following morning in the same location as the first injection.

I'd definitely talk to the vet about putting a topical on your baby... I know that alot of human creams and ointments aren't good for dogs & I can't imagine that a strong BenGay type cream would be a all.

[dismayed]

I think some of the more considerate vets will even knock your dog out while they give her the arsenic shots. It probably costs more, but if they'll do it I'd say it is well worth the added comfort for the animal.

[Amanda24]

Heartworm treatment you're buying fits the weight class and type your pet belongs to. Many people buy this straight from their vet, which has the advantage of being able to ask questions and receive guidance regarding the treatment; be sure to listen to your vet closely, as you don't want to take chances with your pet.