# Heart worm



## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

What does everyone use for heart worm prevention? Would like to be as natural as possible no chemicals please. Thanks


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Heartgard every 40 or so days. I follow the research protocol and start once the temps are consistently warm enough for HW to mature in the mosquito. 

I am not a vet and recommend people do their own research.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Heartgard/Interceptor

HW is not something to mess around with

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog | Heartworm: A real and present danger


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Please use the chemicals! They will eliminate the eggs before they mature into the adult worms.The treatment for adult worms is a painful ordeal.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

bob--- WHAT are your incidences of HW in Ontario?


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## Pretzels (Aug 11, 2014)

Using chemical preventatives is the only sure way to prevent heartworm.... The monthly chemical preventatives are very very mild compared to the terrible stuff you will have to use if your dog does come down with heartworm!! 
I skip a few months of the year where it is too cold for the life cycle of the heartworms to develop inside the mosquitoes. But i would only recommend doing this if you very thoroughly research first! 
(I dose my dog with ivomec cattle dewormer, which is ivermectin, ther same ingredient in heartgard)


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

None (am in the NW)


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## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

Jax08 said:


> bob--- WHAT are your incidences of HW in Ontario?



I've been in dogs for my whole life (27 years) and have never once heard of a dog (in my area) getting it.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

bob_barker said:


> I've been in dogs for my whole life (27 years) and have never once heard of a dog (in my area) getting it.



What area are you in? It's pretty easy to look up numbers based on your area.


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## bob_barker (Dec 31, 2013)

I'm in Kingston Ontario. 

I've looked it up, and literally one will say high rates the next will say low rates, then high rates, low rates... Etc. 
which is a reliable site?


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Here's for the US - but here is the thing, either only about half the people who take their pets to the vet, test or only half do preventative (or both). So that means that half who take their vet don't, plus all the people who don't take their pets to the vet don't. https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/incidence-maps

CAPC Vet is another parasite resource. 

This is for Canada but 2009. You can look at the comparison from the states' maps and see how it changes, so this is old in HW terms: http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/uploads/file/CPEP guidelines ENGLISH.pdf

2010 Heartworm In Canada | Ontario Veterinary College | University of Guelph

DogAware.com Articles: Heartworm Prevention in Dogs has good info overall about it 

In 12 years, I've had 3 dogs go through HW treatment in my care with rescue - 2 from the south (so they were also disease hosts and could have been infecting any dogs not on preventative near me while still HW+) and 1 from WNY, while watching a large number of local dogs test positive for it. So talk to people in busy rescues and shelters that test for more info than you will get from the average person, and also talk to your vet. That should give you some really good info and when talking to the vet ask how many test in the clinic you go to to get a percentage idea of how much is truly known.


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