Trifexis

[Ravyn]

What brand of Oatmeal flea and tick shampoo do you use? I've chosen to go the route of getting more heartworm tests duing mosquito season than to use any of the meds. I'm trying to find a good shampoo. Also, does the company make a repellant?

My vet is pushing the heartworm meds and I refuse. She is not happy so it may be time to find a holistic vet for Loki.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Ravyn

What brand of Oatmeal flea and tick shampoo do you use? I've chosen to go the route of getting more heartworm tests duing mosquito season than to use any of the meds. I'm trying to find a good shampoo. Also, does the company make a repellant?

My vet is pushing the heartworm meds and I refuse. She is not happy so it may be time to find a holistic vet for Loki.

That is not a good idea. Adult worms are what show up and in order to kill them you have to use arsenic and it will leave your dog with health issues and could kill your dog. Please just use like heart guard once a year.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

That is not a good idea. Adult worms are what show up and in order to kill them you have to use arsenic and it will leave your dog with health issues and could kill your dog. Please just use like heart guard once a year.

Do you mean once a month?

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by pstinard

Do you mean once a month?

yes lol oopsie

[Yorkiex]

I only use the oatmeal shampoo and conditioner before I got my dogs on heart worm medicine. I stopped using that shampoo bc my vet told me that those shampoos with sulfates wash away the medicine. I switched to tropi clean because it has all natural ingredients and I didnt want the shampoo washing away the $50 revolution treatment I got for the dogs, LOL!! BTW Tropiclean smells GREAT!!! I got the papaya and coconut one and I couldnt stop smelling my dogs after lol!

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by Yorkiex

I only use the oatmeal shampoo and conditioner before I got my dogs on heart worm medicine. I stopped using that shampoo bc my vet told me that those shampoos with sulfates wash away the medicine. I switched to tropi clean because it has all natural ingredients and I didnt want the shampoo washing away the $50 revolution treatment I got for the dogs, LOL!! BTW Tropiclean smells GREAT!!! I got the papaya and coconut one and I couldnt stop smelling my dogs after lol!

It says on the Revolution website that it's safe to bathe your dog 2 hours after applying Revolution. The medicine is absorbed through the skin into the body, so it can't be washed off. See the prescribing information here: http://www.revolution4dogs.com/images/revo-pi.pdf (the section on Administration). I always wait at least two days just to be safe, though.

[Ravyn]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

That is not a good idea. Adult worms are what show up and in order to kill them you have to use arsenic and it will leave your dog with health issues and could kill your dog. Please just use like heart guard once a year.

No, sorry, I won't be giving Loki any heartworm meds. I've done a lot of research on this and, I find, that more antibody tests per year is a safer way to go. Heartworm meds don't prevent heartworms. They are poisons that kill the larvae. It takes very specific circumstances for heartworms to even occur in a dog. Also, as the antibody test finds the larvae, you can then put your dog on the same heartworm meds that some vets recommend giving monthly.

This is a great article on how dogs become infected with heartworms. Heartworm Medication Part 1: Truths, Omissions and Profits - Dogs Naturally Magazine

Also, I have checked the percentage of dogs in my area that get heartworm and at a percentage of .05-1% I think I'll take my chances. It's safer than the percentages of deaths due to the medications.

Plus, even if you give them the meds, it is recommended that you use some type of repellent on them. I'd prefer to make sure that they don't even land on him than to give him meds that can affect his immune system as well as other systems in his body.

[Ravyn]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

That is not a good idea. Adult worms are what show up and in order to kill them you have to use arsenic and it will leave your dog with health issues and could kill your dog. Please just use like heart guard once a year.

Adult worms are what show up if you do the regular heartworm test. However, if you do an antibody test, the larvae will show up.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Ravyn

No, sorry, I won't be giving Loki any heartworm meds. I've done a lot of research on this and, I find, that more antibody tests per year is a safer way to go. Heartworm meds don't prevent heartworms. They are poisons that kill the larvae. It takes very specific circumstances for heartworms to even occur in a dog. Also, as the antibody test finds the larvae, you can then put your dog on the same heartworm meds that some vets recommend giving monthly.

This is a great article on how dogs become infected with heartworms. Heartworm Medication Part 1: Truths, Omissions and Profits - Dogs Naturally Magazine

Also, I have checked the percentage of dogs in my area that get heartworm and at a percentage of .05-1% I think I'll take my chances. It's safer than the percentages of deaths due to the medications.

Plus, even if you give them the meds, it is recommended that you use some type of repellent on them. I'd prefer to make sure that they don't even land on him than to give him meds that can affect his immune system as well as other systems in his body.

Your playing Russian roulette. It's much more poison when you have to treat for it then just the monthly pill. I know how heart worms work, I am in school to be a vet assistant. I think you have to look at which meds are causing the deaths because some are not safe. Be careful letting those holistic things poison you. Maybe you should check out skept vet it's a great source for real backed up info.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by Ravyn

Adult worms are what show up if you do the regular heartworm test. However, if you do an antibody test, the larvae will show up.

Adult worms show up in the antigen (antibody) test. The larvae require additional tests, including centrifuging or filtering the blood to concentrate the larvae so they can be viewed under a microscope, as well as a PCR (DNA) test. See: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-p...isease-in-dogs . This article also has the following recommendation:

How can I prevent heartworm disease in my dog?

Annual heartworm testing followed by preventive medication is recommended to keep your dog free of heartworm disease. Several excellent preventative products are available to prevent heartworm disease in dogs. Your veterinarian can advise you on which product is most suitable for your pet, and whether year round treatment is necessary. Dogs in subtropical United States are at risk for heartworm year-round, while dogs in Canada, northern United States, and Alaska are most at risk during the warmer months (late Spring to late Fall). Dogs from lower risk areas that travel into high risk areas should be on preventive medication during the travel period regardless of the time of year.


I don't have enough time to refute the many false and misleading statements in the article from Dogs Naturally that you cite in another post above. However, even that article states in part 2:


"I am a researcher and holistic health advocate, not a vet. Please learn the facts then discuss with your vet the appropriate course given your dog’s location, lifestyle, travel schedule, health, climate and the time of year."


Here are some links to articles from Skept Vet discussing holistic treatments for heartworm:


There is no “Natural” or “Holistic” Heartworm Prevention or Treatment Proven to be Safe and Effective | The SkeptVet


Dr. Christina Chambreau: Another Homeopath Giving Bad Advice about Heartworm Disease | The SkeptVet


The biggest lie, of course, is that heartworm medications kill more dogs than heartworm disease does. That is scientifically and demonstrably false. I wouldn't recommend Trifexis, but there are certainly safe alternatives like Heartguard and Revolution.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by Ravyn

No, sorry, I won't be giving Loki any heartworm meds. I've done a lot of research on this and, I find, that more antibody tests per year is a safer way to go. Heartworm meds don't prevent heartworms. They are poisons that kill the larvae. It takes very specific circumstances for heartworms to even occur in a dog. Also, as the antibody test finds the larvae, you can then put your dog on the same heartworm meds that some vets recommend giving monthly.

Okay, there is one false statement in this quote that is particular deadly for dogs: "Also, as the antibody test finds the larvae, you can then put your dog on the same heartworm meds that some vets recommend giving monthly." I repeat, that statement is FALSE.

The antibody test tests for the presence of adult female heartworms only. (See https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-p...isease-in-dogs ) If you are going to use an antibody test and skip monthly heartworm medications, the antibody test needs to be done TWICE a year, and if it comes back positive, you will need to treat the dog with the medications to kill adult heartworms, NOT the monthly heartworm meds.

Below is the full quote from the article I cited above. As you can see, the tests are NOT perfect. Why would anyone living in a heartworm endemic area take chances with the health of their dog?:

Heartworm is usually diagnosed with a simple blood test. There are two main tests for detecting heartworm infection; one test detects adult worms and the other detects microfilaria.

Testing for Adult Worms: The American Heartworm Society recommends using the Heartworm Antigen Test as the primary method of testing for adult heartworm infection. This test is specific for the adult female worm. Antigen is detectable by 6½ - 7 months after infection and positive results are possible using some tests when there are as few as 1-3 adult females in the heart.

Antigen tests will be falsely negative if:

the infection has been present for less than 5 months (dog is infected but too soon for adults so there is no antigen present)

the worms are all male or all immature females (no adult female worms so no antigen present)

there are very low numbers of worms (level of antigen is too low to detect)

there are technical difficulties doing the test itself (test should be repeated)

Testing for Microfilaria: Any antigen test that is positive or “weak” positive should be followed up with a test for microfilaria. The presence of microfilaria confirms that mature adult worms are present in the heart and indicates the need for specific treatment to kill microfilaria. The best tests for detecting microfilaria are called concentration tests. The preferred test is the modified Knott's test, which involves using a centrifuge (a machine that spins the sample very quickly in a small circle) to concentrate the microfilaria; the other common test is the filter test, which involves passing the sample through a very fine filter that traps the microfilaria. In both tests the microfilaria are detected and identified using a microscope.

Microfilaria tests may be falsely negative for several reasons including:

none of the adult worms are mature enough to mate and produce microfilariae

all the adult worms are of one sex so mating cannot occur

there are too few microfilaria in the bloodstream to be detected (mating is just beginning, or there too few adults to produce large numbers of microfilariae)

[DaniB]

Hi.....I did the Trifecta sample with my little guy on Monday. He became lethargic, threw up twice and was completely not himself. He slept all day and twitched a lot and when he wasn't asleep his eyes looked weird. He is himself today but I will NOT be giving him that again. It was scary!!!