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One thing we do know that heartworm treatment is costly and not without dangers:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/treating-...m-disease-dogs
For me, one good reason for the yearly blood test is to see if my dog has the early stages of heartworm( no symptoms), and it can then be dealt with early.
HEARTGARD Plus used monthly as directed can help prevent heartworm infection in your dog , but not a perfect product.
Drs. Foster and Smith, an online US vet site, sells a 6 pack of 85lbs Revolution for $85.99. Good or bad?
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...fm?pcatid=9567
Depend on what you do with your dog. If his biggest trip is walking around the block, it might be fine. If he hits the field and woods , it is not the right product. Revolution covers wood and dog ticks, but NOT deer ticks which are what cause lyme disease in dogs and humans. That price sounds pretty average to me. Welcome to the forum. :)
For more info read this whole thread.
I was just reading some sad news on another board and this poor lady had to euthanize her girl (very precious girl, but aren't they all?) last night due to lyme nephritis. I read up on it and man, that's a worst case scenario when dealing with lyme disease.
Would be so much better if caught in early stages. That's one of the reasons why testing for heartworm IS of value. The newer 4DX test also tests for Lyme.
I have been using ivermectin in my labs for the last 15 yrs. , I donot do heart worm tests & my dawgs are very healthy,also I know more than one person who do the same , I don,t want to tell anyone else to do the same but........ How many cases of heart worm do you know of in ontario or canada for that matter? Just sayin,
John
Well, as CA in TO mentioned, the latest 4DX test also checks for lyme. After reading what I did (my post above) I think it's a very good idea to have the test done annually.
Things may may have changed recently, but I believe that they (US retailers) will not ship heartworm preventative product across the border.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mouse-Hunter
That's why I have a vet in the U.S (prescription)and can bring it back over the border.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Quote:
Originally Posted by old duckman
"A study on “Heartworm in dogs in Canada in 2010” published by the Ontario Veterinary College’s Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph has revealed a 60 per cent increase in the number of dogs in Ontario with heartworm since the last study of its kind was conducted in 2002.
The Canada-wide study showed that 564 dogs tested positive for heartworm in Canada in 2010; 431 of those dogs were located in Ontario (that’s over 75 per cent of the total). Also of concern is that eighty per cent of animals that were found to have heartworm had not been on a heartworm preventive medication. In a few cases, pets that had been receiving heartworm preventive medication also tested positive for the disease; the most common reason for this was that the pet owners indicated they had forgotten to give their pet the preventive medication at the prescribed intervals. " quote
http://www.ovma.org/pet_owners/dogs/heartworm.html