Puppies as old as *how many weeks or months* can safely be
given their first heartworm preventative (I use ivermectin) without
first testing for circulating heartworm microfilaria ?

Joe

In article ,
Joe Johnston wrote:
Puppies as old as *how many weeks or months* can safely be
given their first heartworm preventative (I use ivermectin) without
first testing for circulating heartworm microfilaria ?

Why not ask your vet?
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

"Melinda Shore" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Joe Johnston wrote:
Puppies as old as *how many weeks or months* can safely be
given their first heartworm preventative (I use ivermectin) without
first testing for circulating heartworm microfilaria ?

Why not ask your vet?
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

I will, but I like to have more than one source for dog health information .

Joe

In article ,
Joe Johnston wrote:
I will, but I like to have more than one source for dog health information .

Me too, but it would be a vet and another vet and maybe
another vet. Not a vet and some random schmuck on the
internet. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that gets
posted.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

I will, but I like to have more than one source for dog health information
.

Companion Animal Parasite Council Heartworm guidelines:

http://www.capcvet.org/?p=Guidelines_Heartworm&h=0&s=0

American Heartworm Society:

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/

"Sharon Too" wrote in message
news:uM2dnarc9Kd3KIbVnZ2dnUVZ_q2hnZ2d@dundkirkandf redoniatelephone...
I will, but I like to have more than one source for dog health
information
.

Companion Animal Parasite Council Heartworm guidelines:

http://www.capcvet.org/?p=Guidelines_Heartworm&h=0&s=0

American Heartworm Society:

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/




Thank you, Sharon. When I made my initial post I was actually
thinking about you, knowing you had provided links to reliable
information in the past.

From your first linked website :

"The canine host typically becomes microfilaremic 6 to 7 months
after infection."

From your second linked website :

"The earliest that heartworm antigen and microfilariae can be
detected is about five and 6.5 months post-infection, respectively."

Thanks again.

Joe

"Melinda Shore" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Joe Johnston wrote:
I will, but I like to have more than one source for dog health
information .

Me too, but it would be a vet and another vet and maybe
another vet. Not a vet and some random schmuck on the
internet. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that gets
posted.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

You are right, of course. What I was looking for was responses that provided
links. But using a sig that reads "personal opinions not appreciated" is
probably
not a good idea.

Joe

"Joe Johnston" wrote in message
...
Thank you, Sharon. When I made my initial post I was actually
thinking about you, knowing you had provided links to reliable
information in the past.

From your first linked website :

"The canine host typically becomes microfilaremic 6 to 7 months
after infection."

From your second linked website :

"The earliest that heartworm antigen and microfilariae can be
detected is about five and 6.5 months post-infection, respectively."


But also from your second linked website :

"Puppies should be started on chemoprophylaxis no later than 8 weeks of
age."

"Puppies should be started on chemoprophylaxis no later than 8 weeks of
age."

I recently attended a seminar with a speaker from CAPC - a parisitology guru
from Cornell. It figures that at the point we were talking about this, the
vet next to me spilled his red wine all over me (ugh), but I beleive he
recommended testing puppies for heartworm at about 7-9 months of age and
then again at 12 months if the opportunity presents itself, especially in
the HW heavy areas. We're lucky if we can get an annual HWT from most
clients. We do the 4X test which also tests for erhlichiosis, anaplasmosis
and lyme and our lyme poisitives have had a striking increase this spring,
so it's easier to get folks to do the test for that reason than the HW, even
though the HW is fatal and lyme is easily treated and not always
symptomatic.

-Sharon (not a vet, but a practice manager)

Joe Johnston wrote:
"Melinda Shore" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Joe Johnston wrote:
Puppies as old as *how many weeks or months* can safely be
given their first heartworm preventative (I use ivermectin) without
first testing for circulating heartworm microfilaria ?
Why not ask your vet?
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

I will, but I like to have more than one source for dog health information .

Joe


You can google for all this!