The good news is, they have a treatment for it, very expensive, but she's our baby, so off to the hospital she goes on Monday. We lost a dog to heartworms 15 years ago and it was awful, and they told us then the treatment was almost as bad as the heartworms and just as likely to kill Daisy, and we couldn't afford it anyway. It's still going to hurt financially, but the treatment is much less invasive and much more efficient now, and we'll be able to save Gigi. Apparently the preventative I've been giving them was insufficient for her weight and didn't protect her, though George, thank God, is negative. You certainly wouldn't know anything was wrong with her. She looks and acts perfectly healthy. She's going to be one unhappy camper when Mommy drops her off at the hospital and leaves her there for two days, though. I wish you could explain to a dog that you WILL be back and this is only for a couple of days. She's probably going to think we've abandoned her.

And George has an ear infection, so he's going to get ear drops for two weeks. Thank goodness, he's pretty cooperative about such things. I usually clean his ears about once a week and I've been busy and not keeping up with that all summer, and bassets are very prone to ear infections anyway. I feel like a bad mommy all the way around today.

Awww poor Gigi and George, but don't beat yourself up Siobhan. We know you're a GREAT Mommy

I am assuming since you were using a heartworm preventative that her case is on the mild side. I don't know how much you know about the treatment so I am going to give you a few pointers I have learned from doing dog rescue and dealing with it. The treatment should be done in several steps - they should give her 2 months of treatment to kill the immature larvae before giving the treatment for the adult worms. The Heartguard can be used for that or Sentinel is used if the infection isn't severe because it works faster. Then they give the Immiticide - this is an arsenic based medicine and is given in 2 or 3 doses. If they do 2 doses they will give one and them 24 hrs later give the second - if done in 3 doses they will give one dose and them 1 month later give the next 2 doses 24hrs apart.

The treatment to kill the adult worms is painful - some vets don't give painkillers so please ask your about this. You also have to completly restrict activity for at least a month after final treatment to prevent an embolism by the movement of the dead adult worms through the veins and arteries. It is also common for the dog to be on antibiotics during this time as much of the damage is actually caused by bacteria.


Being a rescue we have often had to opt for the long term treatment option which is to just treat with antibiotics and Sentinel for a 2 year period - this can only be done on healthy animals that are showing no signs of illiness and can wait the 2 years for the adult worms to die. Not the best option but when money is tight it is sometimes our only choice.

Don't beat yourself up about it - the preventative you were giving her isn't 100% effective and Illinois, especially central and parts South are areas heavily hit by heartworm and even dogs that were thought to be "100% treated" are prone to getting mild cases.

Also know that the monthly meds don't actually work for a month - they actually only stay in the system for about 24-48 hrs, they are designed to kill any larvae that has been acquired since the last treatment. Didn't the vet prescribe your preventitve? If he prescribed the wrong dose for your dog I would certainly be asking for a break on the cost of treating her since it was their fault.

They're doing the two doses 24 hours apart this coming week, and then have her come back in a month for another check and another dose. I will remember to ask about painkillers, but our vet is really good, and I'm sure they'd do that anyway.

They prescribed the right dose for her weight at the time, but she's gained a few pounds, and the vet told us that even three or four pounds can make the difference. She also said it's possible she was infected a day or two before the last visit, and the blood test would be negative that soon afterward.

They're both house dogs and only really go outside for potty breaks. We don't put them out and just leave them there, but we have a lot of mosquitoes in our yard. It wasn't as bad this year as it was last year, but it only takes one. As for restricting activity, you never met a lazier dog, so I'm not worried about that. She's quite willing to lie around and only really gets excited if there's food to be had.

The vet seemed confident this would do the trick. I hope she's right. I'll also ask why they're not doing the two-month pre-treatment you mentioned. Maybe the fact that she's been on Heartgard has already taken care of that part?

There are a few alternative therapies that can help with the side effects during treatment.

For the heart: apply a drop of thyme or lavender oil behind the right ear & another drop above the pad on the back of each hind feet & rub oil into skin. Then do the same with marjoram oil For the oils - dilute them at by mixing with olive or sweet oil. Both marjoram & thyme have anti-inflammatory properties.

To help heal & clear out the cardiovascular system - Noni Juice (its an extract from the Tahitian plant that has anti-parasatic properties). Holistic vets will administer this after treatment because it will help clean out the cardiovascular sysem as the medication is killing the parasites & can help with healing from the toxic effects of the drugs used to kill the heartworms. Dose is 1 tsp 1x a day for dogs under 15 lbs not to exceed 1 Tablespoon a day for larger dogs over 100 lbs. Dogs dont like the taste and its hard to cover it up.

Enhance the immune system - Vitamin C is essential to repairing tissue damaged by heartworms. 250 mg to 15 lbs 3Xday & 500 mg 15-50 lbs 3 Xday. (Do not exceed 1000 mg) Keep this treatment going until heartworm free. One draw back is it can cause diarrhea - I prefer a lower dose and you can get Ester C which is a powdered form that can be sprinkled on food. L-Lysine also can help - it works on repairing tissue as well.

Arsenicum can be used to reduce side effects & to cleanse the system from the arsenic medication. 1-2 pellets per 15 lbs - over that 3-5 pellets at 203 times a day. (6X to 30X potency) Pellets can be crushed and poured directly in mouth or under lip. Do not give with food and wait 30 minutes before or after meal.

Another key factor is protecting the liver which is going to be working overtime due to the poison in the system. Milk Thistle, dandelion and red clover are all cleansing herbal supplements. Dogs over 50 lbs can tolerate the full human dose and those 15-50 1/2 that dose & those under 15lb 1/4 the dose. Start before treatment & keep on it until at least a month afterward. Also Vitamin B supplement will help break down and detoxify the medications. 50mg of B-complex per 20 lbs 1x day.

Also during the weeks following treatment, make sure you add some fresh veggies to meal time & use a high quality food. With the levels of toxins, it can be tough for nutrients to be absorbed.

I will second the pain medication. The treatment can be a rough ride for everyone because it is so toxic. I do recommend bloodwork to monitor things especially liver & kidney functions. You may find getting Gigi to eat & keep food down a bit of a challenge too since nausea & vomiting can be side effects of the medications.

Keep us posted of how things are going.

That is very sad news! Poor puppy and momma! Here you thought you were doing the right thing and giving monthly prevention and now this! If you do decide to supplement your vet's treatment plan in any way, just make sure your vet is aware of it so they can take it into consideration and discuss any added risks or interactions first. Also, whatever company makes the prevention medication you were using, I would ask the vet(provided you purchase at his office and not online) about contacting the company if they may cover some of the treatment costs. Best of luck! I say a healing prayer for you both.

Awww im sorry to hear that poor puppies. Your not a bad mommy either, you doing everything you can to help them get better... that makes you a great mom
Bailey my Golden has an ear infection too, thankfully It's almost cleared up now. He is so great and cooperative too, he sits perfect for me and lets me clean his ear and put his antifungal drops in.
I hope Gigi and George are feeling better soon.

George's ears cleared right up with the medication and he's fine now and didn't catch Gigi's kennel cough, either. Her kennel cough is gone and she's had her second heartworm treatment and still seems fine -- acting just as usual, eating just as much, doesn't seem a bit affected. In another month, we go back for a test to make sure they're gone.

I am glad to hear everything is going well. Keep us updated!

Yay, that's great news!!

Agrees