lyme shot & changing heartworm meds
hi everyone,
yesterday i was going through all 3 of my pets shot record as next week i am taking all 3 to the vet so the cats can get there shots,de wormed, and made sure they are healthy. for teddy i need to make sure he is healthy for this travel and get more heart worm meds(he gets de wormed once a month and dosnt need shots until September). come to find out teddy never had a lyme disease shot when he was a puppy even though i told them to give him one(this was back in SC) after doing research i found that ticks are a huge problem in Arkansas and i would hate for him to get lyme disease. now i know its only 80% effective but thats better than nothing i suppose. just for that shot alone is $39 is it worth it to get that shot? or is it kinda a waste?
also, the vet i am going through says they will give me some heart worm meds but doesn't carry the brand i use, ive heart max. i want to stick with it as teddy has never had a reaction to it. they recommended interceptor. i heard that its great but is it ok to go from one brand to another like that? they didnt really answer my question over the phone
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi Rebecca, iverhart max is ivermectin based, it is one of the riskiest ones out there. Check out the previous discussion here.
As far as Lyme disease goes, it depends on your lifestyle, if you are on hikes then YES, if you spend more time on the sidewalk then NO. It may be beneficial for you to identify ticks, what they look like in all stages and the proper way to remove them.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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i had no idea that ive heart max was so dangerous! my vet said it was a great brand:( but interceptor seems just as bad...but i cant afford sentinel as they want $80 just for a 6month
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Shop around, call vet offices in your area and price them. It should be around $10 a month, $60 for 6 months, cheaper if you buy 1 yr's worth. There are different packages / price based on the dog's weight, corgis should fall under 11-25lbs or 26-50lbs, the price difference is about $3-4.
When we are in FL, heart worm rx is a must for all year protection, but if you live in the northern states, your local vet can advise you a different schedule. $10 a month prevention is very affordable comparing to a heart worm treatment, which can range from $500 - 1000 depending on severity. Talk to the office manager, ask them to price match the other vet's price or offer you a better deal. If you volunteer with a local shelter / rescue group, you may even qualify for a group / special rate. That's exactly what I did, it doesn't hurt to ask :)
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i see what your saying, i do still have 8months worth of iveheart max and i really dont want to throw it out. i did call around but here in DC its very expensive so maybe i should just wait until we move to Arkansas
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Is Lyme a big problem or small problem in your area (vet can tell you and there are maps online; google "Lyme Disease Map" and you'll get results.)
And as Sam says, are you in the woods often or mostly walking on sidewalks? We are in PA and in the woods more days than not with our dogs, so getting the Lyme was a no-brainer. However the vaccine itself carries some risks, so if your dog is not personally at high risk for Lyme I would skip it.
The nymph stage of the deer tick is very tiny and the biggest tramsitter of Lyme. It is VERY hard to spot on a dog and in fact the stat I saw was that even the majority of humans who get Lyme have no recollection of being bitten.Really good pics here of how tiny they are:
http://horsehints.org/LymeDisease.htm
The one on the far left is the nymph stage before it has fed. Even the most diligent owner would likely miss that on a dense-coated dog like a Corgi.
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*cringe* i hate the way ticks look. i started researching the ticks so i know what they are called and everything about them. i do normally walk teddy on the side walk but sometimes i let him off leash but the there is no woods here in DC. in Arkansas is all woods and im still not sure where we want to live yet. im not sure yet if i should get the shot as there is side effects but i would hate for him to get lyme disease. is it curable?
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Lyme is curable with antibiotics. However, in humans I know that the symptoms can linger long after the treatment has stopped. Also, in some people, there is an auto-immune arthritis that can develop after Lyme infection that CAN'T be treated with antibiotics (as it's now no longer the bacteria, but the body's own immune system, causing the problem). I have no idea if this can happen in dogs.
Lyme is rarely fatal but can make life uncomfortable for sufferers. You might be safe waiting to see what type of housing you'll be in and what your daily routine will involve there before deciding.
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yea i see what your saying. i didnt know much about this disease until now. it seems really nasty to get. but like you said maybe i should just see where i live before i decide to get it. and sorry about the mix up with the meds, u are right the K9 advantix does repel ticks. so thats more protection for him:)
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also thank you for mentioning the map, i just looked and it said less than less than 70 cases are reported each year but on the other hand it has one of the highest heart worm cases. im doing every thing i can to keep the nasty bugs off of him. i even found a tick collar that vets always recommend by virbec since ticks usualy go for the head. he is on K9 advantix and i am aware that it doesnt repel ticks but it does a wonderful job at keeping the fleas and mosquitoes off of him. so im hoping that the tick collar will help some
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Permalink Reply by Lynne Cerny on
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I talked with my holistic vet to see what she would use and she recommended the interceptor. She said that it a one less ingredient than Sentinel and that the reason that the deaths were less was because it is used less. I'm kind of driving myself crazy figuring out what to use! I'm in for the Lyme because it is so hard on them! I wish it worked for Anaplasmois (sp?)! Bucher is still having issues from that!
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thanks for everyones help. it seems that me getting the shot would be kinda useless as there are very little reports in Arkansas so thats a relief. plus since he is on K9 advantix it will help repel the ticks along with a tick collar i will be ordering from my vets, heard lots of great reviews so i will do that as a back up. the heart worm problem there is one of the worst in the US and i will be sure he will take his meds on time, all though i will be switching after the 8month supply is gone to either sentinel or interceptor but can anyone answer my second question? is it really ok to go from one heart worm med to another like that?
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