Back to Internial and Externail Pest
Heartworms present a real threat to our hunting buddies. These hounds spend most of there lives outside and exposed to swarms of heartworm carrying mosquitoes. This is a problem throughout the US but an even greater problem in the south. Mosquitoes and all the risk they represent are present in large numbers all over the south from March thru mid November. These blood suckers hatch from every water hole and swamp. The overwhelming numbers are uncontrollable and even with the increased efforts in recent years to eradicate mosquitoes their numbers keep growing. This all means that our hounds will be bitten by mosquitoes and the odds are they will introduce heartworm larva into them. The larva will stay in the blood stream for a time and then attach to the walls of the heart. They grow to adults and clog the heart. The adult worms cause heart disease, reduce performance and may cause death.
HOW
YOU GOING TO SAVE US HOUNDS?
There are a number of quality heartworm prevention products available for your use. These are designed and marketed to protect your dog. They help to block the life cycle of the heartworm and prevent the larva from maturing to the harmful adults. Most of these products are taken by mouth and must be given to the dog once each month after they reach the age of 6 months. Due to the length of time it takes for the larva to mature, it is considered safe to start prevention at or around six months of age. Some newer products are only given once every six months. These must be administered by injection and are given by your vet. Both the oral and injected preventatives must be obtained from your vet. The vet will run a standard blood test to insure the dog is not already infested. If they do already have heartworms, you may be in for some sizable expenses. Chances are they do not already have heartworms and the vet will start a heartworm preventative. The cost per dog is a little much if you have a large pack. It is not much to pay for the vet visit and the meds for one or two family pets, but it starts to add up when you have a pack of hounds to keep on the program.
Sounds
Like I am doomed if we can’t come up with an inexpensive plan to follow.For years, keepers of the hounds from all over have been using a livestock product to provide an effective heartworm preventative. This product is available from your local co-op, feed store or animal supply catalogs. You do not normal need to pay for a vet visit and the price per hound is well within your price range. Chances are you already know about Ivomec and may already be using this product and paying only a fraction of the cost.
Tell
us the cost per hound.
Each hound needs only 1/10th of a cc per 10 lbs of body weight. That means that a 30 pound beagle would need 3/10th of a cc once each month. To make the math a little easier for me, let us assume you found Ivomec at the high price of $50 for a 50 ml container. (1 ml = 1 cc) This would mean that 1 cc would cost $1. 3/10th of a cc, (treatment for one month for one 30 pound hound cost 30 cents). This is a bargain when compared to the cost of going to the vet. It may be safe to say that you can take care of 15 hounds for about the price of one taken to the vet.
Keep in mind that you can safely start a young pup on Ivomec at six months. If you do bring a new hound into your kennel and you do not know or you are not sure of the hound’s history, then you may want to spend some bucks and take them in for a blood test by the vet. If they get a clean bill of health then you can start them on Ivomect. If they are infested you will have to make some choices. At considerable expense your vet may be able to rid them of the heartworms. However, there is a risk in the procedure. You could spend your money and loose the dog anyway. You may choose to not do anything. This hound may hunt for you for a number of years or may only last a few seasons. This little rabbit chaser will not have the stamina or be able to perform at the level of a healthy hound.
I
am starting to worry. If you keep them hounds heartworm free, we
bunnies don’t have a chance.
sign
me up for the Ivomect plan and tell us just what a keeper of the hounds
must do to make it all work.
Ivomect is given by mouth.
I mix it with fruit punch. This makes it easier to give to the hound.
You need to know the approximate weight of each hound. I weigh and
record each dog’s weight every-other month at the same time I giving them
worm medicine for intestinal worms. That process will be covered
later. This allows me to have a good idea of how much they weigh.
Each hound receives 1/10th of one cc for each 10 pounds of body weight.
1: Using a syringe with needle, draw out a full 3 cc of Ivomec. You may have to inject air into the Ivomec container to prevent a suction when you withdraw the Ivomec. This is the amount that I draw to take care of 10 hounds with an average weight of 30 lbs each. If you have fewer hounds, then you would not need as much. The syringe is marked in 1/10th of a cc. This will be useful when measuring out the amount for each hound.
2: Using a second syringe without a needle, draw up about 1 cc of punch. Pull the plunger down just a little to leave a space between the punch and the end of the syringe. Now take the other syringe (the one with the needle and has the large amount of Ivomec) put the needle into the end of the syringe that has the punch. Slowly inject Ivomect into the punch, while watching the plunger go down. Stop when the right amount has been injected. Remember the syringe is marked off in 1/10th amounts. If you have a 30 pound hound then you will need to inject 3/10th. A 20 pound hound would require 2/10th etc.
3: Now place your thumb over the end of the syringe with the punch and shake. This will mix the Ivomec with the punch.
4: Hold your dog’s mouth open and inject the punch into the roof of the dog’s mouth.
5: Repeat this process for each hound.
I
am footloose and heartworm free. I am ready to do some serious bunny
chasing.
Run
for it boys!
A proactive prevention program is your only hope for keeping your beagle buddies heartworm free. If they are health they will be able to perform well. To keep them healthy you must keep them on this very inexpensive prevention program. Some hound owners that live in colder climates will stop giving ivomec or what ever prevention they use during the cold months when mosquitoes are dormant. Here in the south, I keep them on the program throughout the year. Even in the cold months mosquitoes have been know to hold up in some warm corner to venture out on a sunny afternoon looking for blood. To keep track, all my hounds are given ivomec on the first day of each month. A treatment provides protection for up to 35 days, so if you forget or can not get it done on the first of the month, you do have a day or two before you place your hounds at risk. You may want to do it the first Saturday of each month. That will work as long as you pick a time and stick to it. This is a very quick and easy process. Having weighed all my hounds the middle of every other month, I have a good idea what they weigh. My hounds are in off-ground kennels and they will step to the gate for their little taste of fruit punch. This is just too easy and economical for anyone to pass up.