Clearly, you’re not using enough chocolate. 
Seriously, I’m glad he’s still with you.
Yeah, seriously. Inquiring minds want to know!
Glad to hear it:) Seriously, I was just being flippant in my other post.
Chocolate covered raisins. That ought to do him in. 
I always told people that I have a 3 foot deep hole in the back yard and twice a year I throw each dog in it. If they can’t get back out, then I just cover the dirt back over. I couldn’t believe how many people thought I was actually serious… but they’d eventually get it as a joke.
But then I moved to Appalachia where they don’t understand the concept of a joke and I had to quit telling the story, because they threatened to steal my dogs (for the dogs own good, dontcha know)
Despite testing negative for Heartworm at age 7 months (and previously quarantined), I RELIGIOUSLY administered Heartguard Plus. I was very disciplined on schedule with the help of callendars and dosed her at the 30 day mark and many times even at the 14 day mark if I felt we had been at a high exposure location… My now 5 years age dog tested positive for Heartworm (5 yrs later). Contrary to the topic here, I wish my vets had told me to test my dogs for heartworm in spite of the Heartguard preventive treatments (ivermectin/pyrantel). Now my once vivacious, full of energy dog that could run 20-50 miles per day when hunting or running or next to me mountain biking… or swimming into big waves and surfing all day long retrieving sticks… Now the story could not be any sadder and the treatment options confusing and expensive and time consuming and heartbreaking. I would have given her not yearly tests, but quarterly tests had I known it was possible for her to aqcuire heartworm in spite of her Heartguard Plus “protection”.
I’m in San Diego, Ca.
Despite testing negative for Heartworm at age 7 months (and previously quarantined), I RELIGIOUSLY administered Heartguard Plus. I was very disciplined on schedule with the help of callendars and dosed her at the 30 day mark and many times even at the 14 day mark if I felt we had been at a high exposure location… My now 5 years age dog tested positive for Heartworm (5 yrs later). Contrary to the topic here, I wish my vets had told me to test my dogs for heartworm in spite of the Heartguard preventive treatments (ivermectin/pyrantel). Now my once vivacious, full of energy dog that could run 20-50 miles per day when hunting or running or next to me mountain biking… or swimming into big waves and surfing all day long retrieving sticks… Now the story could not be any sadder and the treatment options confusing and expensive and time consuming and heartbreaking. I would have given her not yearly tests, but quarterly tests had I known it was possible for her to aqcuire heartworm in spite of her Heartguard Plus “protection”.
I’m in San Diego, Ca.
Despite testing negative for Heartworm at age 7 months (and previously quarantined), I RELIGIOUSLY administered Heartguard Plus; five years later she tested positive for heartworm (2 antigen and 1 microfilaria smear tests). I was very disciplined on schedule with the help of callendars and dosed her at the 30 day mark and many times even sooner at the 14 day mark if I felt we had been at a high exposure location… My now 5 years age dog tested positive for Heartworm (5 yrs later). Contrary to the topic here, I wish my vets had told me to test my dogs for heartworm in spite of the Heartguard preventive treatments (ivermectin/pyrantel). Now my once vivacious, full of energy Catahoula dog and companion - that could run 20-50 miles per day when hunting or running or next to me mountain biking… or swimming into big waves and surfing all day long retrieving sticks… Well, now the story could not be any sadder and the treatment options confusing, expensive, time consuming and heartbreaking. I would have given her not yearly tests, but quarterly tests had I known it was possible for her to aqcuire heartworm in spite of her Heartguard Plus “protection”.
I am sorry about all three of your dogs.
Heartguard, and all the preventives, are not 100% effective. If you have proof of purchase with your veterinarian, you can ask and check if the company will pay for some or all of the treatment.
A quarterly test will be an overkill, as it takes as long as 5-6 months for the larvae to develop into an adult.
I am sorry your vivacious dog now has the disease despite prevention. The good news is that while it is expensive and long-term treatment, the side effects are much lower with the newer treatments than decades before, and the outcome once it is finished is the return of your active dog.
In this case the vet I might imagine that the vet would have an argument for deniability because of the intermittent dosing and lack of Heartworm test. However, my dog has been constantly on Trifexis and had a new Heartworm test (probably not needed) which I had always purchased at Costco Pharmacy or online. I started Banfield Pet Pharmacy as a new vet. After a few months I asked for and was refused a prescription for Trifexis bbut they would be happy to sell it to me. They said that Trifexis manufacturers, Elanco owned by Ely Lily, asked them not to write prescriptions that can be filled elsewhere. That is a bit of the tail wagging the dog. Refusing to write a script is against the American veterinary Medical Association and is illegal in thirty six states. It seems that if you want to market a drugm get the vets to sell it and keep clients from going anywhere else to buy it. Banfield Pet Pharmacy sells it about 30% higher than it is online. This is troublesome because Elanco is the second largest pet pharmaceutical company in the world. I am filing a complaint with my state Dept. of Health and the state Consumer Protection Agency. TO see the AVMA ethics rules and the states with laws against vets refusing to write prescriptions go to Veterinary prescription orders | American Veterinary Medical Association
In dog years, this thread is dead.
…And happily, the dog who inspired this thread is STILL kicking! He is 14 1/2 now and while he’s arthritic and needs daily Happy Pills (aka Rimadyl), he can still walk for about 3/4 mile before his back legs give out.
…best Pit thread update: EVER. 
Do vets make that much on things like heartworm medicine or prescription food? My vet gave me three cans of food to try for Baxter (who’s lost weight and now is on the King Fat-Ass Developmental Program version of canned food). And she sells it for about a buck a can. She’s never gouged me on the cost of animal meds, either (I know generally what things cost for humans).