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Originally Posted by Woogie Man  The off label ivermectin is what I use for prevention. it is the same active ingredient as is in Heart Guard. It comes in a 1% solution and says 'injectable' on the label but is given orally to dogs. For small dogs it must be further diluted to avoid giving too much. I like it over the commercial dog products as it can be dosed to the exact weight of the dog instead of a weight range for commercial dog products.
As far as I've read, ivermectin is the only preventative that can be given to a heartworm positive dog. There are various 'slow kill' methods for heartworm positive dogs. One of the most common is to simply give the monthly preventative dose. The ivermectin will kill the microfilia, but does not 'kill' the adult heartworms. What it will do is render them unable to reproduce and will shorten their lifespan. Severely affected dogs have been cleared using this method but the dog may show 'positive' for up to 1 1/2 years until they are completely clear.
As I said, there are many variations of the slow kill method. Some call for increased doses and/or increased frequency of dosing in an effort to rid them faster.
The issue in selecting a treatment is what is effective and safe for a particular dog. The immiticide will kill them fast but there are risks to an already weakened dog. Then there is the risk of pulmonary embolism if the dog is allowed to be active while undergoing that treatment. The slow kill avoids these issues but you have to willing to be patient and understand that the dog will remain positive for heartworms for a longer period.
I wouldn't 'recommend' any particular plan for someone else's dog. Everyone must make their own decision for what is best for their own dog if confronted with this. There are also holistic treatments but I don't have faith in their effectiveness so won't go into them here. |
I see rescues doing this because of cost. I would honestly rather see them turn the dogs over to people who will give them the recommended treatment. There are plenty of other dogs they can save while not cutting corners on others. What people do not understand is that the heartworm disease is progressing for those two years. The adult worms are what cause the problems. So even though the microfilaria are no longer being produced, damage is being done. A very healthy dog may be able to handle that, but I personally would never do it to them because it is a huge risk.
The only time I could see it done is if a dog was just SO sick that he/she could not withstand the immiticide treatment...and honestly, if they are that ill, they are probably not going to withstand the two years of letting those adult worms wreak havoc on their hearts.
To me, slow kill is giving Heartgard (Ivermectin) for two to three months and then doing the injections after that.