The only medication OCAS Heartworm Treatment covers is Doxycycline for thirty days.
At your first visit, you will be required to purchase Heartworm Prevention.
The medication cost is determined based on weight.
Your pet needs to receive heartworm prevention for its entire life.
A dog can be reinfected without it.
WORMS FROM PETS CAN BE CONTRACTED BY HUMANS.
A fecal test will be sent out at your expense. Please bring a fresh sample with you.
If your pet has worms, you will need to come back to purchase medicine.
The results are usually back in twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
WHY DO WE NEED A FECAL TEST?
Knowing if a dog has other types of worms (like roundworms, lung worms, hookworms, or whipworms) during heartworm treatment is vital. Concurrent parasites add a heavy physical burden to an already-compromised body, and choosing the wrong medication or timing can trigger severe, life-threatening allergic reactions or shock.
OCAS does give Pyrantel for roundworms and hookworms.
Unfortunately, we have found 98% of our patients are still testing positive once leaving the shelter.
A fecal test is required to ensure the safety of your pet. Once your pet is done with the medication, you will need a follow up test to confirm the pet is now negative. If you have other pets in the home that have been exposed - such as from sharing a yard, the others may need to be treated as well.
OCAS does recommend keeping your new pet away from established resident pets for two weeks, this issue is one of the reasons.
We recommend purchasing Flea Preventive as well. Fleas can cause tapeworms.
If your dog has any other conditions, you are responsible for those costs.
