This was originally posted on Craigslist by a vet tech, in december but I thought it would be helpful for your son's dog. I use Ivermectin sheep/cattle wormer on monthly basis. I have read about Ivermectin being used on all the dogs after the hurricane in New Orleans. That was posted on the Heartworms societys website. This maybe an option worth talking over with the vet. Could save you hundreds of dollars. Ivomec http://www.internetvets.com/Articles/ivermectin_dosing.htm http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article.asp?id=11 Ivermectin Ivermectin (Heartgard® & Heartgard® Plus by Merial, Iverhart® Plus & Iverhart MAX by Virbac and Tri-Heart® Plus by Schering-Plough) was the first in this family of drugs to be approved for preventing heartworm infection. An infection with larvae as long as two months prior to the initiation of ivermectin treatment will be blocked from development. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=610 Ivermectin Only? Melarsomine treatment is expensive and often out of reach for rescue groups, shelters, and many individuals. If the dog is stable (Class I) one option is to simply leave the dog on an ivermectin-based preventive. This option has led to a great deal of misconception about the ability of ivermectin to kill adult heartworms. Let us lay the rumors to rest now: Ivermectin does not kill adult heartworms. Ivermectin does shorten the lifespan of adult heartworms. Ivermectin does sterilize adult heartworms. Ivermectin does kill microfilaria (keeping the dog from being a source of contagion) Ivermectin does kill L3 and L4 larvae (preventing new infections). This means that if one opts to treat a heartworm positive dog with an ivermectin heartworm preventive only, one can expect the dog to remain heartworm positive for a good 2 years and the heartworm disease will be progressing during that 2 years. This is not good for the dog but certainly beats getting no treatment of any kind. This approach should only be considered for patients who are Class I and may be able to withstand 2 years of heartworm infection. Now the theory in doing ivomec treatment only is this. Instead of killing the heartworms fast kill them slower. The heartworm treatment that vets use kill the heartworms faster. The dog given the heartworm treatment must remain calm and on a baby aspirin to prevent clots. Why? Because when the heartworms are killed they don't exit the body like roundworms do. The heart worms head for the lungs and this can cause the lungs bronchi to get clogged therefore the dogs can't breath and die. With the ivomec treatment you prevent the larvae from hatching and sterilize the adult heartworms. The life span of a adult heartworm is less than two years. It is cheaper for animal rescue groups to do this instead of the other. Animal rescue groups take in so many animals that cost is always a factor for them and they have to save money if possible. Instead of posting negative posts of what the original person posted about what vets don't want you to know. Maybe you should thank that person for all the rescues they have done. You see they have rescued over 600 dogs in the last 5 years. Not one time have they lost a dog to the ivomec treatment. I know I am a vet tech that works for the groups veterinarian. I have seen the work they have done and all the lives they have saved. The veterinarian I work for is the one who approves of the ivomec treatment as an option. They have spent over $20,000 dollars a year out of their pocket. They do this because they care. Depending on the vet if he/she only cares about money then they won't tell you about this option. Did you know a heartworm positive dog can be given heartguard but not interceptor. Why? Because interceptor will cause a dog to dies if they are heartworm positive becsuse the ingredients in intercept are stronger than ivomec. You can though give a heartworm positive dog Heartguard. Now there are some vets that will dispute this but the makers of heartguard have said that yes you can give a dog heartguard that is heartworm positive. vet clinic

Thats why they put me on it for the fibromyalgia and the nerve pain from my neck. Hasn't helped the nerve pain so much but it has with the fibromyalgia. I feel much better after sleeping good. I am supposed to start taking a dose in the morning also after the first week and I am thinking no way can I stay awake and function. I actually fell asleep sitting straight up on the way home from Tulsa and I could never sleep in the car before even laying down no matter how exhausted I was. I totally missed going through Dallas and that usually makes me a nervous wreck. I woke up with my mouth hanging wide open and thought eew gross, thats never happened before, lol. Hubby said one minute I was singing and the next I was snoring, lol. Be careful and don't overdo things and hurt yourself or there will be nobody to tend to you. I wish she would move in with you to cut out some of your work load keeping up two houses. Take care of yourself and I am praying for and thinking of you and your family. Hugs back, Kristy

Thanks for your answers. Some research that I have been doing indicates that rice water used as a base liquid and combined with other natural materials may be more effective treatment for various plant diseases. Evidently these are very ancient techniques and I was hopeful that someone on this Forum might have run across reference to them. Rice water could be made in three ways (I think). The first would be to soak unhulled rice grains in water for two or three days, strain it, and I find indication that this may possibly be a control for root knot nematode. Also, some experiments allude to faster, stronger seedling growth when watered with this type of rice water. The second method would be water poured off from cooked rice water. Yes, Scott, I know about the recent postings of using milk to control plant mildew problems. Wonder what happens if we combine it with cooked rice water? The third method might be rice flour whisked into water. The last two methods produce a starchy water which may just act as a 'paste' to adhere whatever to a plant surface....i.e. compost tea water + a bit of rice water may yield interesting results. I will stop rambling on the subject and begin experimenting when growing season comes around again. Hopefully you all have found the book LANDSCAPE AS SPIRIT by Mosko and Noden. Beautiful book! May help out those of you working on rock setting projects.

San, SIL just started working this January at the bank and is only working part time as it is. She had been working 2 other jobs all part time in addition to this one so I know she is exhausted. Good news is that baby and mommy get to go home today already. I bet they are ready for the time to be out of the hospital. I just hope that someone can stay and help out for awhile. My mom stayed with my sis and I with our 2 c=sections each for about a month. And let me tell you that was heaven.(don't ask Dan what he thought of it:) But since she is a daughter in law she is afraid to offer to stay.She offered to stay in the hospital overnight to change diapers, and give a pacifier or sugar water to hold out feedings a little bit ( I know it was great when she did this for me) but my SIL promptly announced that she would figure it out and handle everything on her own. I know that when I came home mom was there to help, added to that with Hayden I had 6 weeks bed rest and a 2 and 4 year old that wanted to help) But I cried like a baby when it was time for her to go home. It was so nice having another adult there. My brother works Construction and works 60 hour weeks so won't be able to be at home. And now my sil's mom who was going to stay and help will be flying home on Monday leaving Becky at home alone with the baby, her first and she reaaly doesn't have a clue, not ever being one to be around babiies at all. Just knowing the maternal instict will pop up and help matters out. Stacie