Interesting site about vets.....
 

I came across this site and thought it was interesting and certainly has some things to think about. Thought I would share.... oldcountryvet.com : Video Clips : Heartworm : How To Afford Veterinary Care Without Mortgaging the Kids

This is very interesting. It does make you think for sure. Thank you for sharing.

Ivermectin only treatments can be done but it is not recommended in a lot of cases:


Ivermectin Only

Melarsomine treatment is expensive and often out of reach for rescue groups, shelters, and many individuals. If the dog is stable (Class I), one option is to simply leave the dog on an ivermectin-based preventive. This option has led to a great deal of misconception about the ability of ivermectin to kill adult heartworms. Let us lay the rumors to rest now:

* Ivermectin does not kill adult heartworms.
* Ivermectin does shorten the lifespan of adult heartworms.
* Ivermectin does sterilize adult heartworms.
* Ivermectin does kill microfilaria (keeping the dog from being a source of contagion)
* Ivermectin does kill L3 and L4 larvae (preventing new infections).

This means that if you opt to treat a heartworm positive dog with an ivermectin heartworm preventive only, you can expect the dog to remain heartworm positive for a good two years and the heartworm disease will be progressing during those two years. This is not good for the dog but certainly beats getting no treatment of any kind. This approach should only be considered for patients who are Class I and may be able to withstand two years of heartworm infection.
Heartworm Treatment - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

Doxycycline and steroids can also be given, but the vet wouldn't know to do that if he/she didn't know that adult heartworms were present.