Heartworm Medication Choices
Heartworms are the third most common kind of internal parasite a dog can have (roundworms and tapeworms are more common). Heartworms are found in certain areas of the world, so you may not have to treat your dog for heartworms if they are not in your area. For example, England and Scotland rarely get heartworm problems, but America does. Be sure to ask your vet's advice and if there are heartworms in the local area.
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Geography
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Your dog needs preventative heartworm medication if you live in an area with mosquitoes. It's the mosquitoes that transmit the heartworms. It is far easier and cheaper to use preventative medications rather than not do anything and only treat the dog when he or she has already been infested. A dog does not show signs of being infested for six months after the mosquitoes bite -- and by then, it might be too late.
Time Frame
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Preventative heartworm medications are usually given once a month in a chewable tablet, regular pill that has to be swallowed whole or a liquid. These are given to adult dogs for the duration of their lives. Check with your vet to see if a pregnant dog can still take heartworm medication.
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Types
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Preventative heartworm medications for dogs are all in the same family -- the macrocyclic lactones. They include ivermectin, milbemycin, selamectin and moxidectin.
Treatments for infected dogs are far more intense. First, there is an injection into the dog's lumbar muscle to kill all of the adults with melarsomine dihydrochloride. The dog gets an injection for two days. This kills all of the adult heartworms. They need to come out first because they can stop a dog's heart. If this medication does not work, then surgery is the only option left. Only after getting rid of the adults can the dog then be put on macrocyclic lactones.
Function
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These medications kill off heartworms by going through the dog's bloodstream, where the heartworms live. This makes the blood poisonous to the heartworms.
Warning
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Alternative medicines have not been proven to work against heartworms, especially if the dog is already infested. Although there are herbs that can kill heartworms, they usually wind up getting your dog very sick. Paratox, a medicine touted as natural, has very harsh side effects.
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Resources
- Photo Credit The villan. Image from Wikmedia Commons.
