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Originally Posted by Lovetodream88  How would that work? Your not preventing it by doing it that way. It's very unsafe. |
Depending on the test she's having done, her method would work. If her vet is looking for HW babies in the blood, then if found, a monthly 'preventative' would kill them all, and this is assuming the initial antigen/antibody tests have been done and are negative.
The only thing HW preventatives prevent is ADULT heartworms, by killing off any larval stages when given monthly. They do not 'prevent' a mosquito from biting and infecting your dog.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ladyjane Actually, no, that will not work!
From the following link: American Heartworm Society | FAQs QUESTION: How do monthly heartworm preventives work? ANSWER Whether the prevention you choose is given orally, topically, or by injection, all approved heartworm medications work by eliminating the immature (larval) stages of this parasite. This includes the infective heartworm larvae deposited by the mosquito as well as the molted fourth larval stage which develops inside the animal. Unfortunately, within 2 months, immature heartworm larvae can molt into an adult (fifth) stage, which cannot be effectively eliminated by preventives. Because heartworms must be eliminated before they reach this adult stage, it is extremely important that heartworm preventives be administered strictly on schedule (monthly for oral and topical products and every 6 months for the injectable). Administering prevention late can allow immature larvae to molt into the adult stage, which is poorly prevented. |
I believe they mean '2 months from the 4th larval stage' to get to the 5th larval stage. I haven't read the fine print lately, but Heartgard claimed to be effective against 5th stage larvae... I believe they are the only manufacturer to claim that.