Heartworm injections for dogs - anyone have experience with them? (home, safe)

[ACWhite]

Hi, I got this inquiry from a friend in another country. My vet charges for everything and I don't have dogs, so I don't think I'll get a good response if I phone seeking free advice on this. We did web searches and got some info that way, but she's wanting all the inputs she can get. Thanks.

"Can you please ask around with your veterinarians that you visit and perhaps any dog loving friends what the consensus is regarding annual Injections for Heart worm prevention in Dogs? I had never used the annual injections on my dogs until last year, and they are due again at the end of this month. I had read in some forums that they have banned this practise in your country as it was unsafe and it was best to continue with monthly tablets."

[pjg66]

Hi,
We adopted our Great Pyrenees from the Gulf Coast about 3 years ago. He was found abandoned in the streets and so had not been checked out for anything (we got him directly from the folks who found him and not through an agency).

Anyway, when we got him home the first thing we did is get him a complete medical checkup. Alas, he tested positive for heartworm. We went through a three month period of injections to kill off the beasts. It was very hard on the dog, as they were essentially injecting poison into him (a diluted form of arsenic, I believe). At the same time he was taking steroid tablets to beef up his immune system, which made him hyperactive.

The vet warned us to never leave him alone and not let him get too excited or active, because if the heartworm carcasses travelled into his lungs through his bloodstream it could kill him. It was a brutally difficult period for all of us. But thank God after 3 months the vet declared him free of the curse, with no permanent damage to his heart.

Since then we simply give him a monthly tablet and have him checked every 6 months. So far, no sign of a return. The vet never recommended any kind of regular preventatve injections, but if these injections are of the same type that are given to cure the problem, then I would stay away from them.

[ACWhite]

Thanks, pjg66, for sharing your story. I am so sorry about all you and your dog have been through. But I am glad you have saved the dog and that he has been cured with no permanent damage.

Yes, my friend is looking for a preventive treatment--she's been giving the dogs pills--but wanted to investigate the injections.

[ACWhite]

She has two dogs of her own to whom she gives pills. Last year when a relative passed, she took custody of his two dogs, who had been given the annual injections. So she wasn't sure whether she should continue them.

Thanks to your inputs and those of other dog loving friends, which I shared with her, she has decided definitely to switch the new dogs to pills. She also was very impressed with your story and is glad your dog came through.

[Just4801]

I have two bulldogs and they get the injection every six months. They never have any reaction to the shot and their harmworm tests are always negative. They are both really fussy about taking pills, even the beef flavored chewables, so the shot is perfect for them. They have been given the shot for almost two years now and are as healthy as can be.

[sandhill]

I might research this more, but my experience is similar to the above post on fussy dogs. My dog won't take the chewable pill, so she gets a heartworm injection every 6-months.What convinced me the most on the injectable is that when the vet first saw my dog, they said they must do a test for heartworm before giving heartworm treatment (pill or injectable). Because if you give the treatment to a dog already infected, it can kill the dog. I think the logic in posts against the injectable is backward? It's not like flea prevention, where you can miss a couple doses and resume treatment anytime.

[Alley01]

My understanding is that the injections have been pulled several times due to bad reactions. Our vet before we moved to NOVA was adamant that she would never recommend it based on the research and experiences that both she and several of her colleagues had experienced. My dog has never done well with the pills, especially the chewables, so we use Heartguard Plus and to her, they are a treat and she loves them. If that wasn't available, I don't know what we would do.

[waynettestone]

I have been giving my Cocker Spaniel the heartworm shot ever since it came out. When I took her in for her heartworm shot this time, she tested postive for heartworms. The vet didn't know what to say. She checked her chart and saw she has never been late or missed the shot. They are now paying for my dog to have the heartworm treatments. Do not trust that your dog is safe taking the shots for heartworms they give every 6 months. I thought mine was safe and now having to deal with the agony of her having heartworm treatments.

[austindoxie1972]

I asked my vet about these a while back. Here is what he said:

NOPE. Don't do it. The injections DO NOT protect your dog from other parasites. Just heartworm. And this vet felt it wasn't totally proven to do that.

This vet (now in his 80s and retired) was part of an original clinical trial for heartworm pills. He drew blood from dogs on a daily basis to see how long the pills lasted. He told me most pills protect for 45 to 50 days, but the drug companies thought is was easier to just say "once a month."

[BT Lover]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I didn't know that heartworms were an issue in this region, so will be sure to continue the preventative we have been giving ours. That is very scary. I heard that the treatment is brutal and risky, and I hope your dog has a full recovery. It seems fair that at the very least, they would pay for the treatment, but I think that shot has proven to be very inconvenient.