Please tell me how to find the best low cost way to treat heart worms.

I have spent many hours doing research online. As you will see in this article, I still need help.

My human friend has a good heart, probably too much pride to accept money and a dog that has heart worms. I offered money and she would not take it. Now, I am trying to offer the best advice.

Here is the research I found so far. After you read it, please help me improve the information and advice.

Options concerning ways to get rid of heart worms (if no money for a vet)

These are notes I provide based on research I completed so far (10-31-15). I could be misunderstanding important details. I hope these notes will get people to do their own research. I hope people will verify and seek information and advice from trustworthy veterinarians.

Certainly, prevention is best.

 After infected with heart worms, timing is everything. How soon the proper testing takes place, proper treatment and proper care and other details are extremely important.

Proper testing can identify if adult worms are living and reproducing heart worms.

If a dog has been infected less than a number of months, there may be no adult heart worms to worry about. As you will see, if you are extremely attentive to details, and there is no way you can get the help of a trustworthy veterinarian, you might save your dog without prescription drugs. (Although, I strongly recommend you enlist the services of a trustworthy veterinarian.)

Even if adult worms are living inside your dog, even more attention to detail might save your dog.

Now, some basic, important considerations (according to MY research):

1. The sooner proper treatment and care begins, the better the odds of success.
2. Without proper treatment your dog will NOT survive heart worms.
3. Ivermectin and immiticide are the only drugs that seem to have an established record of killing and preventing non-adult heart worms.
4. Only immiticide seems to have a proven record of killing adult heart worms.
5. Immiticide seems to be the safest option for otherwise healthy dogs.
6. Keeping dogs calm while adult worms live and die is extremely important.
7. Proper dose, proper administration of each dose and proper care is extremely important.

It seems that testing is available to determine whether or not adult heart worms are going to dramatically increase the dangers (no matter how you treat your pet). The sooner trustworthy testing takes place, the better.

It looks like testing negative for ADULT worms might make treatment relatively less complicated. Ivermectin seems to be capable of killing worms before they become reproductive adults.

Ivermectin can prevent adult worms from reproducing. If proper care can keep the dog strong enough to outlive the adult heart worms, the dog can survive. Allowing adult worms to live a number of months does not come without additional risk. Obstruction, infection and permanent organ damage can result from adult worms living too long.

Immiticide seems to be the best and safest treatment for otherwise healthy dogs with adult heart worms. The necessary amount of time keeping the dog calm is dramatically reduced. The adult worms die relatively quickly and can cause much less damage and danger.

Immiticide treatment is avoided for various reasons. If a dog is too weak to survive this type of treatment, sometimes a veterinarian might think this “Chemo therapy” type treatment is too dangerous. Some pet owners (I think unwisely) decide against this treatment because one of immiticide ingredients is arsenic. Sadly, some people simply cannot afford this treatment.

“A poor person’s treatment plan”

 

 I hope a trustworthy veterinarian is consulted before and during any treatment plan. A poor person treatment plan can create unnecessary suffering and waste money if bad decisions are made.

 

My research indicates (if I understand correctly) dogs too weak for the Immiticide injections (the drug that contains some arsenic) have been successfully treated for more than two months with Ivermectin and doxycycline orally and then with Ivermectin forever. It seems that killing non-adults and preventing conception eventually eradicates heart worms (the adult life span can be up to two years).

 

It seems 1/10th of a cc of 1% Ivermectin (trade name Ivomec) for each 10 pounds of body weight, given once per month for three months, can kill all non-adult heart worms. I think the doxycycline is an antibiotic to help avoid infection complications. I add this link, http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/health/canine-heartworms-and-inexpensive-prevention, because if read carefully, I think it helps to illustrate the SAFE way to administer liquids orally.

 

So far, Ivermectin (Ivomec) is the only proven drug I read about that has an established history of killing non-adult heart worms without the need for a prescription. Merck Heart Guard/ iverhart for dogs contains Ivermectin. I think Merck Heart Guard requires a prescription.

 

I read that Ivermectin 1% liquid can be purchased much less expensively and without a prescription. Tractor Supply and Amazon sell Ivomec. Also, carefully measured and orally provided (properly mixed with cola or orange juice and properly squirt to roof of a dogs mouth), a stronger dose than contained in Heart Guard can be administered. It is important to note that collies, shelties and other herding type dogs cannot tolerate strong doses of Ivermectin. I think Heart Guard contains a mild dose of Ivermectin to make it relatively safe for ALL dogs.

 

I am not sure if it is because of expense (buying Heart Guard is expensive) or if a need for a prescription is the reason people try drugs other than Ivermectin. It seems other drugs may or may not work as good as or better than Ivermectin. So far, my research seems to indicate Ivermectin and doxycycline are the best combination of drugs to treat heart worms without the benefit of a veterinarian.

 

Please Help

Please make a comment concerning this article. I want to find all mistakes and I want to improve this article. Your comments can help develop the best protocol for owners that cannot find money for normal treatment.

Sincerely, Mike Quick