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Annual Heartworm Shots


CAL
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I just got off the phoen to the vet and he has recommended an annual heartworm preventative. Does anyone have any experience with this, and should I then avoid all-wormers such as sentinel that have heartworm prevention in them?

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The jury is still out on these I believe.

All my dogs have the annual jab. I believe that spacing it some distance apart from any other vaccination will assist with lowering impact on a dog's immune system. I haven't had any adverse reactions but I have heard of some dogs having localised swelling.

I certainly wouldn't be using any other product that contains heartworm preventative.

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If you were intending on giving worming regularly with a heartworm prevention in it, I certianly wouldn't give the annual injection also.

My dogs used to get the injection. My young boy has a lump where he was given it 2 years ago and I was advised for him not to get it again. I put all the boys back on monthly tablets.

Like poodlefan said, the jury is out. I've heard good things and bad things about it.

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I would avoid the yearly heartworm shot if I was you. Many a bad expeiernce out there with it and it just doesn't sit right that a large dose of chemicals like that is good for a dog. Mind you some poeple say the same about monthly rather than daily heartworm.

Proheart SR-12 is the name of the injection given.

Article about Proheart 6 being recalled

Document about Heartworm from FDA

Thread on OZPets about Injectable Heartworming

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I decided against the annual heartworm for my dogs...partially because it costs quite a bit more for my dogs then it would with the monthly tablets, the other reason being is that i'm not yet sure that it would last the year as it's supposed to :cry:

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I gave it to my dogs just before all the bad press about (as ML has posted) it came out. I was very worried that they would get some weird illness and they were fine but i dont think i would risk it again. Maybe later when there is more research.

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Have had both my girls done with the shot. Had heard of problems but when I asked the vet these related to the American injection NOT the Australian one- two completely different products and yes there were probs with it. That being said, problems can arise with any product depending on the dog. I know of a poodle who had bad bleeding after the tabs!!

Belnel

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Guest LittlePixie

Personally.... the concept of a chemical being injected into my dog that would stay there for TWELVE MONTHS really concerns me...

Yes you hear the same about monthly vs daily heartworm prevention... but I think from one month to twelve months is still a very big jump!!

And no - if they have the shot, don't give them anything else for heartworm. :rofl:

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I asked about the injection on the American site that I am a member of to find out more. Most of them weren't for it as it had caused a lot of adverse reactions in dogs, including apparently some deaths (though I don't have any factual information to say that the deaths were found to be definitely due to the injection). Not one member said that they would put their dogs on the injection. But like I have read in one of the replies the Aussie version is meant to be different to the American one. Before the dog is put on the injection they have to be tested and cleared for Heartworm first.

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Admittedly CAL, I've used the shot on 3 dogs (my vet at the time was using as soon as it came out).

1st dog - Used once - no immediate problems. Haven't known dog since.

2nd dog - Has been used for 3 years now (not my dog anymore though), no problems.

3rd dog - Used once, no problems. When year was up went back to monthly because of distrust of chemical.

So I never actually experienced any problems, but I heard enough to make me not want to wait for them to happen.

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Thanks for the URL's ML.

I discussed it with the vet when I went for 'chipping last night and decided against it until there is more empirical evidence available.

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Also depending on the size of your dog it's cheaper to go with a monthly heartwormer, this might sound a little strange but my old vet tried pushing me to get the injection for my older dog. I asked him how much for a 40kg dog...and i'm sure the amount would differ with different vets... but the price was well over double what i spend per year on monthly heartworm, with a consult on top of that price :rofl:

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