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By Steve Brown and Beth Taylor
Minimizing toxins is one of the foundations of our "Live Longer"
program in which we use only those medications, preventatives and
treatments that are most useful and necessary. With careful evaluation,
some "approved toxins" may be avoided. Medications are
by their nature toxic to certain organisms, and often have serious
short- or long-term side effects for our pets.
That said, sometimes chemicals are necessary to save lives. The
chemicals used to prevent heartworm are extremely effective and
can save dogs from difficult, unpleasant and potentially dangerous
treatment. However, many veterinarians recommend treatment schedules
which result in far greater quantities of toxic chemicals being
ingested by dogs than is really necessary or even advised by the
American
Heartworm Society (AHS).
Consider these easy steps you can follow to minimize the amount
of medication you give your pets.
The Heartworm Season Varies By Climate
The transmissibility season for heartworm is determined by temperature.
In order for the larvae of the heartworm, carried by mosquitoes,
to be transmitted to a dog, the temperature must be at least 60
degrees for a month.
For example, the heartworm season in Florida will be quite long.
In fact, it might make sense to give preventative treatments year-round
there.
In Chicago, however, the temperature necessary for transmission
of heartworm is not usually reached at night until June.
The beginning of the season is not likely to be earlier than June
1 in most years, and perhaps later, even though mosquitoes may be
present. Temperatures begin to drop at night by September. And,
the season will certainly be over the next month, although you may
still see mosquitoes.
Preventatives Kill Heartworm Larvae
The chemicals used to control heartworm are called preventatives,
but when we use them, we are actually treating larvae. Think of
it this way: The chemicals kill the larvae your dog may have picked
up in the period since the last dosage.
The drugs you can use include daily doses of Diethylcarbamazine
Citrate (DEC) or monthly doses of Ivermectin (Heartgard or
Iverheart), Milbemycin (Interceptor) or and Selamectin (Revolution).
A six-month treatment (Proheart) was pulled from the market
last year after numerous adverse effects, including deaths, were
reported.
The daily preventative (DEC) is not easy to find since the introduction
of Ivermectin and other monthly treatments. Nevertheless, it is
quite effective and many feel that it is easier on their bodies.
However, if DEC is given to a dog that is already heartworm-positive,
anaphylactic shock may result. That's why completing a heartworm
test prior to giving any medication is imperative.
There are two other issues that motivate us to keep using "monthly"
preventatives versus daily medication.
For one, some dogs stash pills away in their mouths and
dispose of them where you can't see them. Be sure the dog is swallowing
them (as we learned when Steve discovered a cache of pills behind
a chair). Heartworm medication must be swallowed to be effective!
Fortunately, Steve's dog, Garbo, didn't contract heartworm.
The other drawback to daily preventatives is humans must remember
to give them! Missing doses may result in infections. This is
how two of our dogs contracted heartworm. While May survived the
arduous treatment, her brother was blinded. Too bewildered to make
the adjustment, he was soon euthanized.
Though that was long ago, treatment protocols have improved vastly,
but can still be very toxic to your animals. We prefer providing
regular oral preventative medication to the harsh reality of treating
a heartworm-positive dog.
Monthly treatments are best kept as simple as possible. There are
a number of options based on several chemicals. You have a choice
of a pill (flavored or unflavored) or a topical treatment. And some
are "multi-purpose" drugs.
We prefer dogs only receive medication that specifically prevents
heartworm, rather than a silver bullet that treats everything.
Some manufacturers formulate products that combine heartworm prevention
with worming medication, flea, tick and mange medication, just in
case your dog may encounter these parasites.
In our minds, that just-in-case scenario is not good enough
to put a multitude of toxic chemicals into your dog's body. Plain
Ivermectin (Heartguard) is the simplest choice, and the safest for
most dogs, though certain breeds have shown some sensitivity to
it. We recommend you discuss the least toxic options for your pet
with your holistic veterinarian.
And, keep an eye on your dog for a while afterward to ensure your
dog swallows her pill too! While it doesn't happen often, dogs occasionally
vomit these pills.
When to Start and End Medication
To determine the best time to test for heartworm, read the guidelines
posted on the AHS
Web site. Each geographic area is different.
So, you've had your dog tested this spring, and she's clear of
heartworms. How do you know when to start the preventative?
Heartworm is not transmissible from mosquitoes to dogs until the
weather is quite settled and warm, and the medications work on larvae
acquired after the season starts. The time to start recommended
by the AHS is a month after the transmissibility season begins.
The chemicals used for monthly prophylaxis are effective for
at least six weeks.
Many treatment protocols recommend one-month intervals year-round
to account for missed doses and client (that's us!) unreliability.
The concern of veterinarians that administration will be incomplete
is certainly valid, because humans may fail to give sufficient attention
to the right dates. However, it's easy enough to mark them on your
calendar medication to save your dogs unnecessary chemical exposure.
Holistic veterinarians often recommend the first dose be given
a month after the season begins (dealing with any larva which may
have been acquired and allowing for a little overlap) and every
six weeks after that, until the end of the season. The AHS recommends
the last dose be given within a month after the season ends.
How many doses will your dog need? In a normal Chicago climate,
four would do the trick (July 1 Aug. 15, Oct. 1 and Nov. 15). Even
if you are extra conservative, no more than one more dose will be
needed. If you start May 15, you'll end Oct. 1. Few Octobers in
Chicago have nights above 64 degrees, but if this occurs, one more
dose would be needed before the end of the season. Close attention
to the weather, particularly night temperatures, will give you excellent
information about when to start.
Protecting The Liver
Some concerned dog caretakers have sought out more holistic, natural
options such as herbal or homeopathic remedies. If you don't want
to use traditional heartworm medications, it's imperative your animals
be under the care and supervision of a veterinarian with expertise
in this area.
Holistic veterinarians often recommend herbal support for the
liver following treatment. Chicago area holistic veterinarian
Karen Shaw Becker suggests a daily dose of milk thistle for the
week following each treatment. Milk thistle supports the liver as
it metabolizes the medication and aids in the body's detoxification
processes.
Our main goal is to minimize our animal's exposure to chemicals,
including those used to prevent heartworm. We recommend supplying
the smallest amount of drug that will do the job, for the shortest
time period to be effective. This balance provides the best solution
to a major health threat, with the minimum amount of medication,
followed by appropriate detoxification.
Of course, the support of a whole food diet and an active and stimulating
life will also help your dogs live long healthy lives too!
What About Cats?
In the past few years, veterinarians have begun to recommend that
cats receive chemical preventatives for heartworm. This article
is addresses heartworm prevention for dogs only. Cats are not the
natural hosts of heartworm. In fact, the incidence of feline heartworm
causing clinical disease is very low compared to dogs.
Still, bear in mind the actual risk your cat will encounter mosquitoes
when making a decision about medication.
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