Myth:
Heartworms live for 5 years, at least that is what you read in online information
Fact:
Heartworms live for TWO years
A veterinarians's information, read all the way to the last section:
http://www.2ndchance.info/heartworm.htm : The normal life span of a heartworm is about 2 years - possibly shorter when the dog receives monthly or twice-a-month ivermectin.
Myth:
Dogs who carry heartworms and are on heartworm prevention such as Ivermectin can transmit the heartworm larvae to other animals through moscito bites, so they-are infectious
Fact: Heartguard (Ivermectin) and other forms of hw larva killing drugs kill the larvae (baby heartworms) who cause the disease once they mature to adult worms in the infected dog. An animal who is treated with monthly Heartguard cannot transmit the larvae because there are no living larvae, they have been killed by the Ivermectin (Heartguard etc)
Myth:
Dogs who test positive for heartworms MUST be treated immediately or they will not survive for long.
Fact:
Older dogs who have been infested by heartworms for many years and carry a huge load of worms in their heart are at risk, but that risk is just as high or higher if they are aggressively treated at that late stage. The sudden death of those masses of worms can clog their bloodvessels and cause pulmonary embolism and death within days or weeks after the injections. "Slow kill" with monthy Heartguard is the gentle choice of treatment for them. The adult heartworms die off slowly by attrition, but no new larvae survive.
Unfortunately there is not a lot of "public" literature about this on the Internet, but it is widely available and known to veterinarians.
Here is the link to an exceptional vet's website, read especially the LAST paragraph: http://www.2ndchance.info/heartworm.htm
Please use your best judgement, question what you read and hear, and act in the dog's (and your or a potential adopter's) best interest.
TRUST BUT VERIFY
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