Comments on: Heartworm Medication Part 1: Truths, Omissions and Profits

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:39:08 +0000

First….you can cut the chewables in half…they do not “insert” the medication into each individual pill. Chewable heartworm is “cut” into pieces at the manufacturer. Some pills might contain more of the active ingredient and others less but overall your dog will be getting enough if you cut the pill in half. Second, in theory, you should only have to give your dog a dose of heartworm medication once every 7 months as it takes that long for adult heartworms to grow. I wouldn’t test that theory on my own dog, but if you miss a month don’t worry about it…..and finally…ONLY give your dog heartworm medication during mosquito season and don’t start until the month after mosquito season….hear in the North….that would mean no earlier than May 1 and depending on how cold it is…June 1 could be sufficient.

By: Julia Stege,D.V.M.

Julia Stege,D.V.M. — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:11:20 +0000

To clarify the issue of which species of roundworm causes horrible harm to children, it is Toxocara canis, the dog roundworm. It causes visceral larval migrans, which is the condition of having the worms travel through liver, lungs and other organs. It also causes lesions in the retina, which causes irreversible blindness. The raccoon roundworm can actually be fatal to humans. Please don’t refer the unsuspecting public to answers from uneducated lay people regarding the safety of their children. You could do more harm than you think.

By: Trish

Trish — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:03:31 +0000

update:

Went to get pup shots, Vet said that the “chewable” heartworm cannot be cut in half as they just inject the medicine into the chewable cube. I asked about the Iverheart plus hard tablet, have 51lbs to 100 lbs dog size. Since my dog is 39 lbs I can cut that table into 3/4. Also checked with her on that map that shows 1-5 heatworm cases in my surrounding ara…that map is correct. She stated that the 5 years she has been practicing, she has seen 4-5 cases. Stated there wasn’t a heartworm problem here. Boy I feel so much better!

By: Trish

Trish — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:19:56 +0000

Thanks Jan

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:41:02 +0000

Trish, you should contact the manufacturer.

By: Trish

Trish — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:06:56 +0000

another question….I’ve tried searching for this answer…can you cut chewable Iverhart plus tables for a dog half the size of the 61-100 pound range….vet won’t give me a straight answer.

By: Trish

Trish — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:55:47 +0000

Oh my, you have the same map listed here:

Read Part 2 of this article: Heartworm Preventative Options Learn how to reduce the number of times you give “preventatives,” about the little-known FDA approved low-dose preventative, and what to do if you don’t want to give meds at all.

That takes you to the same map on that site

By: Jan

Jan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:54:26 +0000

Trish — Don’t forget that temperature has a huge effect on heartworm transmission. It’s pretty cold most places now. Also, I don’t know if you read part 2 of the heartworm articles but there are lots of choices there.

By: Trish

Trish — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:52:36 +0000

Thanks Jan, I really enjoy reading your site, of course the skeptic in me is cautious because the owner suffers the consequences for the wrong choices. Your site makes sense. That map shows hundreds of miles from severe incidences from where I live….

By: Jan

Jan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:09:29 +0000

Trish, I don’t find any maps, including the identical map on my blog, very useful because the incidence of heartworm can vary in a few miles. To learn about any website, see who is sponsoring it. In this case, it’s a bunch of drug companies. The info may be mostly good, or not, but it does not appear to be unbiased. http://www.capcvet.org/capc/sponsors.html