Hello, I'm a veterinarian dad. Today is the fourth session of the heartworm video series. I will inform you about the importance and side effects of the heartworm prevention. All drugs are poisons. All drugs have side effects. Then why do we use these drugs? Why do hospitals prescribe drugs? It is true that there are cases where drugs are absolutely necessary. When we use medication, there are side effects, but the benefits we gain from them are greater than the harm. In such cases, we should use medication. For example, in emergencies like traffic accidents, we need emergency surgery, so we take anesthesia, and we also use anti-inflammatory and painkillers or antibiotics. In these cases, we must use medication. Moreover, if the fever rises and reaches over 40 degrees, but the fever doesn't go down, it can cause damage to the brain. Therefore, we need to temporarily lower the fever with antipyretics.

Medication is necessary, but the problem is that it is prescribed and used too easily, even when it may not be absolutely necessary, and there are other ways to treat it sufficiently. When we catch a cold, have diarrhea, vomit, or get a skin disease, not only humans but also animals are prescribed medication too easily. However, the problem is that if this medication is repeatedly administered, resistance to the medication develops, and the body no longer responds to it. Then, stronger and more potent medication needs to be used. As a result, the body's natural healing power, which can heal itself, gradually weakens, and the body becomes dependent on the medication. Therefore, those who continue to use this medication will gradually weaken and become more vulnerable to diseases. What about kidney disease?

Yes, that's right. When it comes to heartworm medication, there are three important types. First, there is a form that we easily give to dogs orally, in a tablet form. Its main ingredient is Ivermectin. Then, there is another type called Advokate, a product from the past. Its main ingredients are Imidacloprid and Moxidectin. Lastly, there is a product called ProHeart 12, which comes in an injectable form. The main ingredient of this is Moxidectin. So, what is the role of these medications? These are considered heartworm preventive medications, but strictly speaking, they are not preventives but rather treatments that kill heartworms. They are medications that kill the larvae in the heart, so the components of these medications paralyze the heartworms and kill them. If the worm itself is toxic, naturally, the medication to eliminate them would also have toxicity.

The pharmaceutical company mentions the side effects of heartworm medication as follows: for Heartguard, the side effects include depression, lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dilated pupils, muscle weakness, staggering, seizures, excessive salivation, and so on. However, these side effects belong to short-term adverse reactions. In other words, the company only conducts research on side effects that occur within a few weeks to several months in terms of the drug's safety. Long-term side effects, such as those that may occur years later, are practically impossible to study. Therefore, we truly have very little knowledge about the long-term side effects. Hence, we do not know if this heartworm medication may have any harmful effects on animals in the long run.

Repeated administration can weaken the dog's immune system, making it vulnerable to other diseases. According to a report from the FDA, about 48% of all drug side effects are caused by heartworm medications, indicating that these drugs are more toxic compared to others. Therefore, we need to be very careful and thoughtful when using these medications. Feeding heartworm medication does not guarantee that the dog will not get heartworm disease. In some parts of the United States, an experiment was conducted over ten years. They compared the incidence of heartworm disease in dogs that were given heartworm medication and those that were not. They found that there was little difference in the incidence rate. Why is that? It is because repeated exposure led to the development of resistance to the medication due to continuous bleeding.

And due to these changes in the environment, mosquitoes continue to increase exponentially, and with the repetitive administration of drugs, and then involvement in preventive measures, are there preventive measures such as vaccines for dogs? As the immunity of dogs decreases, their resistance does not decrease, and it continues to increase. And we specifically mentioned earlier that there are three types of heartworm medications: oral, topical, and injectable. We need to be particularly cautious about injectables. The injectable medication called f is currently on the market under the name Art 12. Once this injection is administered, its effects last for about a year. Therefore, from the perspective of guardians, due to the inconvenience of having to take medication every month, many opt for this injection. When using this, serious consideration is required.

Because in the early 2000s, it was not released as 2% art 12, but under the name Pro Art Six. After that, for about 3 to 4 years, serious side effects of this drug were reported. These side effects include anaphylactic shock, rapid increase in liver enzymes, various immune-related autoimmune diseases, heart valve damage, adipocyte tumors, lymphoid tumors, tissue structure abnormalities, and even death. About 5500 cases, including about 600 deaths, were reported only in the United States. Therefore, the FDA decided to discontinue the sale of this drug. However, in 2008, the FDA allowed the sale of this drug again. Initially, this drug, which can be taken for six months, was called Pro Art Six.

Art 12 has changed to a baseball that can last about a year, and this has been approved. Even if you think about it sensibly, it's really hard to understand. The main ingredient, Moxi, is said to contain about three times more than Exis. However, the problem is that once you take this medicine, you can never remove the drug from your body. Unintentionally, the effects of this medicine last for about a year. Therefore, I personally do not sell or use this medicine. Among the forecasters, there are some who ask for this medicine a little, but due to its significant side effects, I do not use it. So, for more details, please refer to the translated texts in that block. Therefore, I will inform you about the side effects and dangers of this heartworm medicine.

Despite the information I provided, I still think it would be better to give medicine until the end. It's good to hear people asking for medicine. However, if someone chooses not to take it, I cannot force or stop them. But it is best not to use medicine. However, if you must use it, you should try to reduce the frequency of taking the medicine as much as possible. This applies to those who give heartworm medicine. Before giving this medicine, there are two facts we need to know. We need to know how heartworms reproduce. For heartworms to reproduce, three conditions must be met. Firstly, the average temperature must be above 14 degrees Celsius. Secondly, the temperature must be above 24 degrees Celsius continuously for more than 45 days, and the temperature must be above 26 degrees Celsius for at least two weeks. Only when these three conditions are met can heartworms grow and reproduce. However, if any one of these three conditions is not met, it will not be possible.

If it does not meet the requirements, the heartworm cannot grow. So, please check the temperature and environment of the area where you are raising your dog, and try to minimize the use of this medicine as much as possible. Dr. Park, a representative of the Heartworm Association, says that it is unnecessary for animals in all areas to take heartworm medicine every month. However, except for warm regions in the United States such as Florida and Texas, in other regions, it is necessary to give the medicine every month. If side effects occur due to this heartworm medicine, in most cases, veterinarians will not take responsibility unless it is a serious situation. Ultimately, the guardian must take all responsibility and bear the cost. Therefore, please be careful when administering this medicine or choosing any other medication.

Please consider and conduct research before taking medication. Therefore, please try to minimize the use of this heartworm medication as much as possible and learn about safer preventive methods. We will inform you about safer ways to prevent heartworm disease next time. Please prevent heartworms in a safer way and regularly check to prevent this disease. In the next session, we will explain how to test and diagnose kidney disease. Thank you.

심장사상충영상 시리즈 4. 심장사상충약의 부작용과 위험성

시골에서 작은 동물 병원을 운영하고 있는 수의사입니다. 질병의 근본적인 원인을 이해하고 부작용이 적은 천연 치료법을 통해 동물의 건강을 지키려고 노력하고 있습니다. 그리고 크리스천으로서 살아가는 이야기, 결혼과 자녀 교육에 대한 경험과 생각들을 나누고 싶습니다^^