What Every Pet Owner Should Know About an Overdose of Heartgard
Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2008
by Natalie Williams
Our pets take wonderful care of us; they provide love, companionship, tenderness and even physical activity to create a better quality of life for us. Isn't it only fair that we do the same for them? Heartworm is one of the most devastating illnesses that a dog can contract, but that is only if it is not appropriately treated. Heartgard is one of the most popular forms of treatment for heartworm disease, most likely due to the fact that it is nearly always effective. It can kill the worms that infect your dog's heart and save his life, so needless to say Heartgard is an important part of any canine's heath regimen. However, it can also be harmful. Those who don't know how to administer Heartgard to their dog can accidentally cause an overdose of this medication and if not rectified, an overdose of Heartgard can be cataclysmic to your canine friend.
A dog can get an overdose of Heartgard in a couple of ways, but normally your administration will cause the overdose. Also, sometimes piggish dogs will get into the box and eat them and if they do that, they normally eat them all. In this situation, you want to make sure that you always have it entirely out of the reach of your pet for their own safety. This could be the difference between life and death!
What Happens During an Overdose of Heartgard?
The thing about Heartgard is that if your dog is already afflicted, you have to try another route to treatment. Heartgard is about prevention, not treatment so if you think your dog could be infected it is important to seek a veterinarian in advance. If you administer Heartgard and you think that your dog might be infected, there are some ways of being able to confirm. If your dog looks or acts giddy and wobbles about, or is acting like he or she cannot see and knocking into things, that is one sign of an overdose. Also, if your dog is weaker than usual or is vomiting or shaking immensely, that is another sign of a Heartgard overdose. Obviously, fainting is another sign, but hopefully your pet's overdose won't go that serious.
How to Treat an Overdose of Heartgard
The only way that you can treat an overdose of Heartgard is to take your pet to the veterinarian. There is nothing that you can do from home and if you notice strange behavior and find that it is caused by an overdose of Heartgard it is important to act as soon as possible. Obviously, an ounce of prevention is preferred in this situation. Not keeping it in the house or keeping it away from your pets is a wonderful way of preventing this from occurring at all. Sure, your dog doesn't know better than to overdose on Heartgard, but you do know better.
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Natalie Williams is the author of WormsInMyPet.com. Visit her web site for more tips on getting rid of worms and preventing worms in your pet.
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