Heartworm in a golden retrieverQ: My 12 year old golden retriever, "sunshine," has been diagnosed with heartworm disease. the recommended treatment (injections, rest for one month each time, etc) seems very harsh as my dog is outwardly extremely healthy. i realize that she is quite old for a golden retriever and most likely only has about two more years with a good quality of life. thus, my inclination is to not give her the more drastic treatments that may impair the quality of what life she has left. we keep her at a healthy weight, she runs a great deal, has little or no arthritis and is a happy, (seemingly) healthy member of the family. what is your opinion? is it possible that preventatvie medicines such as heartworm pills would keep the disease at the same level it is now? our veterinarian seemed to only recommend the most involved of treatment. it is not the cost that is stopping me from nor treatment. also, as a physician's daughter, i do use and believe in modern medicine. however, i just believe that dogs (and humans) are often treated late in life with prodecures and medications to cure diseases and they would be better off just living their last days or years on their own. any information would be helpful. thank you in advance. A: A tough decision to make as you are right about wondering about side effects of treatment in older dogs. some vet cardiologists have no problem putting such pets on monthly heartworm pills if decide not to treat to cut down on heartworm larvae and baby heartworms, but of course does nothing for existatn adults but at least stops reproduction
ItchingQ: My dog, a male shepherd/sheltie mix has suffered for approx. 2 years with itchy feet. in the last year, it has become an itch problem all over his body. initially, it was so bad, he would bite himself bald on his feet and legs!now his scratching is less severe, however, it seems more widespread and has extended to his eyes which are starting to drain. he is also constantly scratching his ears. he has been to the vet every month for the last year. he was getting prednisone shots and pills for a long time, but started developing cysts on his body and we feared long term organ damage. we have stopped the shots and pills. this is when the scratching became milder but more consistant. any ideas what could be the root cause? we have tried allergy diet foods recommended by the vet to no avail. if no cure is known, what about treating the symptoms? we have tried benedryl, no help. anything you can suggest would be appreciated. A: I would recommend blood allergy testing to see if inhalent allergies involved like allergies to ragweed, grasses molds danders pollens, etc allergy vaccines can be made up. you could also ask vet about new drug for allergies known as atopica which is less toxic than chronic cortisone
Shop for: prednisone
Heartworm pillsQ: My 1yr. old cat ate my dogs heartworm chewable pill. what if anything should i do. will this be life threatening? A: Should not a problem at all. dont worry
One a day pillsQ: I have been giving my dogs one a day pills (nemacide) since 1980. i am having a hard time finding them. do you know where i can purchase them? if not, what is the best possible monthly to give them? i have irish setters over 50 lbs. i do frontline for fleas and ticks and have never had a problem with any types of worms. i would perfer the one a day if they are still around. any help would be appreciated. thank you, dorothy kumpula A: Nemacide has been discontinued. you need to begin using a monthly heartworm preventative such as interceptor. however, interceptor needs to be started within 30 days of the last nemacide dose, otherwise a new heartworm test needs to be done.
Shop for: interceptor, tick, frontline
Frontline plusQ: I recently spent a lot of money and bought frontline plus for my dog and cat. my dog weighs 30 pounds and my cat weighs 5 pounds. so far after three days, frontline plus is not working! both animals are scratching just as much as ever except more on their heads! what should i do now. i hate seeing my animals suffering, but i don't have a lot of m oney to spend and i am disappointed on the product i recently used. is there some pills i can give them that will work better? please let me know. thanks A: You can order capstar tablets which will kill the existing fleas within a short time and allow the frontline plus to function as it was intended.
Shop for: frontline, frontline plus, capstar
