Heartworms - how did my dog get infected on preventative?
mytdog
14 years ago
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Naomi Miller
14 years agoeccentric
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Did I infect my pear tree with fireblight?
Comments (9)I doubt you have fireblight. I worried once whether I may have introduced fireblight into some trees I pruned in Utah and called up the Extension agent in Wenatchee, Washington named Tim Smith. He was and is one of the foremost fireblight experts.....he patiently explained to me that the odds were slim that I had caused it after I explained what I had done .....(I believe Tim is still there answering questions if you really need a consult....although it is better to rec people in your own state.) Weather is one of the bigger factors when it comes to fireblight....something of which you have no control....but could only maybe think about a preventative spray in the Spring. To be on the safe side, take a leaf sample in to your local nursery or local State Extension agent and let them tell you what they think you have....I don't see fireblight. By the way, pear trees live longer than almost any other tree...they are exceptionally hardy and 200 year old pear trees have been known to have been badly whacked and still come out of it....bearing fruit galore. You probably have no worries, but the only way to be sure is to take a sample to someone who actually can identify the problem. Let us know what works out or doesn't work out....See MoreCalming a dog on heartworm treatment
Comments (7)Are they 100% sure that Maizie is heartworm positive? That seems highly unlikely. It takes 6 months after infection for a SNAP test to turn positive, which means she was infected at 4 weeks old! That seems really odd. If she had a filter or microfilaria test, it is most likely that the filaria seen are NOT heartworms (Dirofliria immitis) but a different filaria called Dipetalonema that she got from her mom. It looks similar to Dirofilaria, but is not pathogenic to the dog at all. Dipetalonema won't grow up to be adult heartworms and will in fact just die (the dog is not the natural host). Dipetalonema will not make a SNAP heartworm test positive. Find out who did the test and what type of test was used. It's certainly possible for a 7 month old puppy to be heartworm positive, but very unlikely. There's no need to put her through treatment if she doesn't have the disease! If it was a filter test, have them do a SNAP antigen test. If it is negative, retest the SNAP in 6 months to be sure. Put her on heartworm prevention now if she isn't already no matter what the test results and even if she is heartworm positive. I hope not. It just seems really odd to me......See More? about heartworm testing for dogs
Comments (23)interesting thread, of a subject that has been very much on my mind. I live in the country, people drop off dogs & leave them to starve. at most I've had 8 dogs, currently am in the process of going from 2 to 3 dogs. my oldest girl I inherited from my best friend when she died. Lizzie is 11 years old. never had heartworms. on flea meds that provide heartworm meds as per vet. Teter was abandoned by his owner when he got fired at the horse farm next door. he was young.. and kinda wild. he has settled down & is about 2 1/2 years old. when I first got him, I took him for shots & tests. tested positive for heartworms. this is the course of action my vet deciced upon for him. 100 mg of doxcycline (sp) once a day for 30 days. then two months of no meds. for two years. this in conjunction with the flea/heartworm meds monthly is supposed to kill the heartworms & be a gentler cure than the tradtional treatment. the vet explained to me that the traditional treatement is expensive, but more of an issue to me was that I'd have to keep Tee 'still & quiet' for 90 days. if y'all have puppies...you know how active they are. for Tee...it would be life changing, and IMO not worth taking away his joy of chasing rabbits birds possums & lizards. I keep both dogs on the flea meds year round as advised by vet. while I agree that some vets charge more than they should, my vet isn't like that. after a life time of dogs & vets...you can tell the keepers from the one time only vets. now there is a dog that just started living under my house. she appears to be part chow..but small probably 30 lbs. so scared I can't get close to her.. but I've been talking to her, and of course feeding her. looks like she/he (who knows??) will be one of the crew now. just to get her over being so afraid. this dog has been in the neighborhood for several months...I thought she belonged to someone. but so far no one has claimed her. when I work in the yard...she comes out and plays with Tee...Lizzie scares her. wish me luck with this new one...she/he.(0ne day I'll get close enough to know ) needs a home. hopefully she'll allow us to provide that. and btw....it is soon going to be snake season. last year...3 times Tee got bitten. my yard is clear of debris, but woods are around my house. any super duper snake away tips? his last bite took us to emergency vet at 10 pm. I've never seen a dog swell up so big. he is ok...but I worry about this summer. even chasing him around with a dead snake hasn't detered him from protecting his space? love your pets everyone...they are with us such a short time....See MoreSerious eye infections in dogs w/flat faces, bulging eyes
Comments (5)Some breeds are more prone to eye diseases. Bad breeding is another cause. My dog was originally dumped in a Wal-Mart parking lot as a puppy. Most likely due to her mild hip dysplasia - breeder could not sell. Then at 5yo, she was dumped again, but at a local pet food store. I adopted her knowing she had issues, including corneal lipidosis. She developed glaucoma, then a corneal ulcer which caused a tiny divot. Hers did not get infected, but if it did, it could have ruptured. The vet sent me to the veterinary ophthalmologist, who said of the four treatments, only two were suited to our dog. Of the two, we both agreed removing the eye was the best course of action, so it could be tested and we know how to treat her remaining eye and hopefully avoid serious issues/postpone glaucoma. She said it's not if, but when. Eye pressure should be under 20, and her right eye was 63. The Dr used to treat humans, and is still a professor, and said it's like a bad headache. I felt like a horrible mama not knowing. She was already blind, so removing the eye got rid of the pressure/pain. I opted not to have a silicone ball inserted due to risk of infection and/or rejection. It's purely aesthetic. I can always let her hair grow longer over that side. She will go every 3-4 months to the ophthalmologist for the remainder of her life. She turns 9yo in October, so I wish I could say I am optimistic she will keep the vision in her left eye, but I am doubtful. My advice would be to always have annual check-ups for your pets. Catch the problem as early as possible, and if they start messing with an eye, go to the vet asap. I am going to take photos of her left eye weekly, so I can compare and see any changes. It's hard to notice a gradual change when you see them every day....See Morecalliope
14 years agoMeghane
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