Hartgard

misty8723

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Can someone please help me decide whether or not I should give this to my cats? The vet recommends it, and it seems as though the lab always comes back saying it shows signs that one or the other were "exposed to heart worms" and we have to have a test to see if they're okay. I was giving them the Hartgard at one time, despite having a really difficult time getting them to eat it, until I read this:

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 65% of adverse drug reactions and 48% of all reported deaths resulting from drug reactions are caused by heartworm preventatives. The potential side effects of Ivermectin (the active ingredient in Heartgard) include liver problems, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, lethargy, skin eruptions, seizures, tremors, paralysis, autoimmune disorders, thyroid problems, fever, weakness, dizziness, coughing, nose bleeds, difficulty breathing, pneumonia, irritability, sudden aggressive behavior, nerve damage, fertility problems, and sudden death. Other chemical heartworm preventatives have many of the same side effects.

In his new book "The Nature of Animal Healing," Dr. Martin Goldstein states that he believes that much of the cancer and liver disease we see today is the result of years of treatment with heartworm preventatives.
It seems like there is just as much chance I will cause them harm as help them by giving them this stuff.

I just don't know what to do. Hopefully somebody knows more about this stuff than I do and can advise me. By the way, I know the vet recommends it, but I don't automatically agree with everything she recommends any more than I agree with everything my doctor recommends for me.
 

white cat lover

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I do not treat my cats for heartworm. IMO the risks outweigh the benefits.
 

kit e cat

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I treat my dogs monthly. I do not treat my cats unless I use Advantage Multi for fleas.
 

stephanietx

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I live in Texas and it's mosquito season year round. I treat my cats every other month or quarterly with Revolution.
 

sharky

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IMHO I will NEVER use that on another animal as it was at least partly to blame for my Gigis passing so young ... but I also live in a very very mild heartworm area ie 5 cases in 6 yrs all dogs from other areas ... If you live in a cat heartworm heavy area( YES there are pockets of them now ) then you need to weigh the pros and cons and go with your conscience...
 

alleygirl

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Riley has heartworms and takes prednisone for breathing problems caused by it, so he takes Heartgard monthly now since another infection would be very bad for him. (and because we clearly have heartworm in the area, even though he's indoor only)(Xander takes it as well, but I won't give it to him during the winter months. Riley is supposed to take it year-round).

I had not heard about all these problems though with liver disease, etc. so I will have to look into this. Are there any heartworm preventative that are safer than Heartgard?
 
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