I have a 4 yr old Pomeranian and gave her Heartgard. It made her hair fall out. Is there anything else I can use besides that?
Lana from Fort Washington, MD
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Do you live where there is heartworm? Does she go outside
where she is exposed to grass other dogs go on? If not,
why does she need it?
pikka
Your vet should know the answer to that question and is the best person to ask for medical advice.
Ask your vet what they would recommend. Heartworm medicine is a definite necessity but there should be one that would not cause her hair to fall out.
Definitely check with your vet. there are other products with different ingredients. heartgard has ivermectin as the heartworm preventive. Heartworm disease is caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, different than intestinal worms picked up from other dogs.
I do not buy heartguard for my dog. I buy my ivermectrin thru a feed supply for cattle. You just give your dog the appropiate amount by their weight and size. You just squish it down their throat or you put it on their food.
My husband and I have been doing this for close to 15 years and we live in the hot climate of Florida where you have to protect the dog from heart worm.
Write to me if you want more info. My sister is now doing it with her 4 beagles. Saves a ton of money. Costs me $25 every 3 years and my doggy weighs in at 102 lbs.
Good luck,
Laura
DO NOT give the ivermectrin for cattle to an Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, American Shepherd, it can cause severe nerve damage, siezures and death!
There is Interceptor, Advantage Multi or Revolution just to name a few alternatives to Heartgard. I doubt that Heartgard made her hair fall out. Stress, Cushings Disease, Allergies, Mange and Infections are much more common causes. There are also Thryoid problems and with Pomeranians something called Alopecia X. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos and everyone gets bitten by them so you can't quit prevention all together. But there are plenty of alternatives out there.
If the hair falling out was caused by the HeartGard, it is very unusual. However, since you live in Maryland you are lucky enough to have many holistic veterinarians to work with (I can help by phone) who can advise you on alternatives like homeopathic nosode, mosquito sprays, no preventative and limiting outdoor exposure if there are a lot of mosquitos. I think you do live in a wet area, so you may need some preventative.
After a mosquito has found an infected dog, the temperature must stay above 65 degrees F for the cycle to be completed so the infective larvae get to the saliva to then try to crawl through the bite to infect your dog. With our strange weather that may be sooner this year, but usually June is the time to begin - not monthly year around.
If your dog was made healthier by a holistic vet, she may be able to not have a reaction.
An integrative veterinarian is a person trained in many different approaches, including using conventional drugs only when absolutely needed. Working with one can increase the chance that your cherished companion can live a long and healthy life after recovering from the hair loss, and even if you can't give a chemical preventative.
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