There are rarely side effects, if given at the proper dosage, but some dogs may experience vomiting, diarrhea, or incoordination. In the case of an allergic response to the heartworm medication, a dog may experience itching, hives, swelling of the face, or even seizures or shock.
Heartworm is a common and potentially deadly parasite that dogs can contract, and it is essential to understand the threat it poses and how to protect your canine companion from it. Heartworm prevention is critical, and the most common method of prevention is to give your dog a monthly heartworm medicine. Although heartworm medicine is safe for most dogs, it can cause some adverse reactions in certain animals. In this blog post, we will explore the potential side effects of heartworm medicine and discuss the signs that your dog may be having a negative reaction. We will also examine the best steps to take if you believe your dog is having an adverse reaction to their heartworm medicine. So if you are concerned about the safety of heartworm medicine for your dog and what to do if they experience a reaction, this blog post is an excellent place to start.
Christie’s investigation to determine the reason behind her dog’s demise led her to learn that glomerulonephritis could be a side effect of heartworm infection. It was upsetting to learn that heartworms can affect organs other than the heart and lungs, even though she and her veterinarians ultimately determined that Lyme nephritis rather than heartworm disease was to blame for Bran’s renal failure.
Some may disagree, but as the co-moderator of an e-mail list on the health and nutrition of dogs, I frequently observe individuals making the claim that your dog won’t contract heartworms as long as it is healthy, is fed a raw diet, and is not overly immunized. These precautions may be somewhat helpful, but they are not 100% effective. Giving heartworm preventatives to your dog is the only surefire way to ensure that they are protected.
Some dogs may experience serious adverse reactions from heartworm preventatives, such as depression, lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, dilated pupils, loss of balance, staggering, convulsions, and hypersalivation. Ivermectin, the primary component of one of the most popular heartworm preventatives, can have adverse effects in some dogs more than others. Additionally, some of the pest control measures are combined with medications designed to eliminate other pests like fleas, mites, roundworms, and hookworms.
Other heartworm products are medications used for different conditions. Roundworms and hookworms are among the intestinal parasites that Heart-gard Plus adds pyrantel to control. Roundworms rarely cause problems in adult dogs, but if your yard has been infested with hookworms, you might want to use this product until the hookworms are gone.
The actual milbemycin oxime dosage that is advised for use in heartworm prevention is 0 05 mg per pound of body weight (0. 1 mg per kg). Compare that to the Interceptor dosage that is suggested for the management of intestinal parasites and heartworms, which is zero. 23 mg milbemycin oxime per pound (0. 5 mg/kg) of body weight. Compared to the dosage required to control intestinal parasites, heartworm can be prevented with a lot less medication.
One of the most important medications given to dogs is monthly heartworm medication. Given the increasing frequency of heartworm prevalence across the country, as well as global warming, more and more veterinarians are recommending year round heartworm prevention. While heartworm disease can be difficult, expensive and sometimes risky to treat affected pets, heartworm prevention has always been stressed by most conventional veterinarians. The most common form of heartworm prevention used by most animal guardians is usually a monthly chewable medication such as Heartgard, Iverhart, or Sentinel. These oral formulations come in chewable pills that most pets often eat readily.
On rare occasions, pets may vomit after receiving heartworm medication. In these circumstances, the best option is to try another dose in a few days, and/or give the dose with a small amount of food. These medications have a wide range of safety, thus allowing for the additional dose. If vomiting still occurs, the pet may be allergic to the particular medication. Switching to a different oral formulation, or considering a prescription topical alternative such as Revolution or Advantage Multi, may be the best option.
However, the American Veterinary Heartworm Society does not acknowledge these types of therapies as effective alternatives for heartworm prevention, despite the fact that some of my holistic clients have used herbal preparations like black walnut or quassia bark as heartworm preventative alternatives.
What should I do after my dog’s heartworm treatment?
It is crucial to allow your dog to rest after receiving an injection. Heartworm treatment for dogs kills adult heartworms within a few days, but while their corpses are decomposing, additional complications may arise. Reabsorbing the heartworms into the patient’s bloodstream can take several months. For the first month after treatment, your dog should not be allowed to exercise and should be kept as quiet as possible to reduce the risk of complications from these decomposing heartworm fragments, which cause the majority of post-treatment complications. Following injection, a cough will be present for seven to eight weeks. Contact your veterinarian right away if your dog is showing signs of shortness of breath or fever, this cough lasts longer than this or is particularly severe.
FAQ
Do dogs feel sick after heartworm treatment?
Some dogs experience nausea and are lethargic. These symptoms will usually ease over a couple of days. Even though some dogs do not experience the soreness in the muscles, it is crucial to avoid picking the dog up or applying any pressure to the back for two to four days following the injections.
What are the side effects of heartworm treatment in dogs?
The most detrimental side effects are those caused by a large number of worms passing away suddenly. If your dog is panting excessively, has trouble breathing, becomes groggy or collapses suddenly, starts to reject food, starts to vomit, or gets diarrhea, you need to call your veterinarian right away.
Why does my dog throw up after heartworm medicine?
If the pet continues to vomit, the medication might make them allergic. The best course of action may involve switching to a different oral formulation or thinking about a prescription topical substitute like Revolution or Advantage Multi.
Is heartworm medication toxic to dogs?
Ivermectin is safe for most dogs when administered at the right doses and under a veterinarian’s supervision. It is also very effective at treating and preventing a variety of parasites. However, a dog with the mutation who consumes the medication may experience a severe, potentially fatal reaction known as ivermectin toxicity.