DOG OWNERS!!! Please read

[KatherineI]

This story is absolutely heartbreaking. While some of us may question every little thing and continually ask for "more information" regarding vaccinations, many of us trust our Veterinarian (and our healthcare provider, at that) and what they suggest. I may very well have been in these people's shoes, as I probably would have done exactly as they did.

Please read. You all know I'm not usually one to post links and such, so obviously, it's important. I'd hate for anyone else to lose a dog like this

http://ashleysassaman.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/dog-owners-beware/

 

[greycloud]

For some reason I cannot access this link. Can you give me a quick run down?

 

[KatherineI]

For some reason I cannot access this link. Can you give me a quick run down?

Frack... let me try and upload it a different way. It's too much to summarize, but basically, a "heartworm injectable preventative" killed a dog. And come to find out, has killed many dogs.

Try that one.

 

[greycloud]

I had not heard of the injectable heartworm preventative yet. I will tell you my boxer was given the lymes vaccine and stopped breathing. We did CPR and mouth to muzzle in the back of the car and got him back to the vets. He was saved, thank God! I then heard of this occurring to several dogs and never opted to get it any longer for any of my girls.

 

[PortaPerch]

Along this line, I went to an ENT for a persistent dry cough last Wed. I have never smoked, have no other symptoms, and at low risk for HPV . ENT looked down my throat with a borescope and decided it's mild acid reflux, and prescribed Prilosec.

I read the advisory sheet, and it has a long list of side effects, which make it far worse than the cough, so I'm not taking it; choosing to alter my eating instead, like no meal within 3 hours of bedtime. Do pet meds come with advisory sheets?

EVERY drug has side effects, most are intentionally addictive, and some may actually help with the advertised malady...

 

[evesta]

Thank you for sharing this. An injectible sounds like a great idea for heart worms so if the vet had offered it I probably would of said yes too. Poor pup After losing my Westie last year unexpectedly losing a pet is still fresh in my mind. He was 11 though, this poor pup was a young adult.

 

[dishgal1]

Well I am probably the oddball on this forum but I DO NOT DO VACCINES OF ANY KIND. I do not give them to my dog except the rabies. I do not trust them. I chose not to vaccinate my children. As far as I am concerned it destroys their immune system .....their immune systems don't have time to develop when they receive a mountain of shots by the time they are 18 months. I won't take a flu vaccine either. I would prefer to take my chances with the flu than with the vaccine. When I was a child our parents would deliberately expose us to measles etc....so we could get it out of the way. We were a much healthier society back then. I know I will probably catch some flak for saying this but to each his own.

 

[txgclb]

Well heartworm prevention isn't like a rabies vaccine, you don't do hw prev,, your
Animals are at an extremely high risk of dying, period. They don't have to go outside
To get heartworms.
That said,I'll stick to monthly pills, they can have reactions, but less likely to
And not as often resulting in death.

 

[dishgal1]

I do have her on Heartworm medication....the lesser of two evils. We have lots of mosquitos so it is a necessity. You are right they can die with heartworms. I WOUld not do injectable that lasts so many months though. The heartworm medication actually can be given every 6 weeks instead of monthly. They do the monthly to help people to remember to give them. So I do 6 weeks (confirmed by my vet)....that way she doesn't get more than she has to have.

 

[KatherineI]

dishgal - I realize that, but you are not the norm. Most people see the easy, convenience of heartworm preventative that they only have to give twice a year, if they don't have all the necessary information (as they people weren't given it and should have), they may choose the more convenient form not knowing the risks. The average person isn't going to question what their doctor or vet recommends.

 

[PortaPerch]

We got our Shingles vaccinations last week, after being reminded by the agony of a woman in the ER. Once you get Shingles, the vaccine is no use, I understand. If you had chickenpox, you are in danger of Shingles after age 50 or so.

An Old Bold Pilot friend said he was shot down, bailed out, and had broken bones, but nothing was as painful as the Shingles. There has been no ill effect at all from the vaccination.

 

[dishgal1]

My husband had those one time.....he was miserable. You can get them more than once. So far he hasn't had them again.

My dog is also on Thyroid meds she is 14. She eats the best food and we use a lot of natural products. Prefer those over prescription drugs. The drug companies seem to have a "treatment" for everything. LOL But not a cure. We are all in very good health. Knock on wood.

 

[MikeyTN]

Am I about the only person that question my vet's opinion? Doesn't matter how good the vet is, I question them and I've won several battles with my vet clinic as I was proven to be correct and they apologized to me personally, even the owner shows up to apologize while he's got 5 clinics he runs around. They sent me home with 6 months of heartworm pills for all 3 of my dogs for free.

 

[txgclb]

When they first came out with injectable heartworm
Prevention, one selling point, from the manufacturers side, to clinics,
Was it got ppl who would normally only come in for yearly hw testing, to at
Least come in twice yearly, thus giving vets one more chance to at least see the
Animals in person. Fyi.

 

[PortaPerch]

The vet my wife likes wanted $600 to clean the teeth of a 15 year old cat. I took him to a vet known for low price, and it was about $80. I have to lay down the law every time she takes the cats in there, as they are always saying this or that test is needed - for $$hundreds.

 

[dishgal1]

I totally agree Katherine. It is just like doctors don't give you enough info on prescription drugs and vets are likewise guilty of that. I understand why people opt for the vaccine because they don't have the knowledge from the vet. It's sad really, we shouldn't have to be the ones to do all the research it should be given by the doctors. We always put too much faith in our doctors and never question them.

 

[MikeyTN]

I never listen to any vet 100% if I have any doubt. I do my own research prior. My vet office knows not to test me as I go from being nice to evil. IF any vet tech or vet is being smart with me, I would remind them to look at my account and repeat how many animals I am bringing into their clinic. They usually back off and hush up real quick. They think just because I was nice they can run me over. How wrong....NEVER let your vets office to treat you bad nor take what they say to be 100% accurate.

 

[dishgal1]

The vet my wife likes wanted $600 to clean the teeth of a 15 year old cat. I took him to a vet known for low price, and it was about $80. I have to lay down the law every time she takes the cats in there, as they are always saying this or that test is needed - for $$hundreds.

I know what you mean....we used a vet for 20 years and now we can't afford them. We found a vet in a town nearby that is totaly reasonable.
Every time we would go no matter how small the problem, it would be 200 - 300 dollars. What is happening the local vets are being bought out by corporations and the original doctors are staying on but have no real say. They don't inform you of what has happened. I found out quite by accident. I was shocked to learn about that. We are so messed up in this country.

 

[mysteryfoxes]

Glad I've got my dog on Heartguard. She's done very well with it. So sad to hear about that poor dog. :/

 

[KatherineI]

I never listen to any vet 100% if I have any doubt.

That's just it... these people (and I admit, I myself in this situation) wouldn't have had any doubt. THAT in lies the problem with the Vet not being forthcoming.

I only do research if I have doubt, questions or simply want to know more. I do not have enough time to do the research that doctors and veterinarians are supposed to be doing. If I doubt a doctor or a vet (and I have), I'll do the research and often, I change my vets. I don't always take what they say as gospel, but something like this, most are not going to think that there's a ton of risks with an injectable Heartworm medication.