Splitting hairs: heartworm medication and treating arthritis | Pet Peeves
To “split hairs” means to make fine distinctions or to argue about minor details. Some might say I am splitting hairs when I talk about these subjects today, but I would argue that they are very important distinctions that have to be defined for the health of a pet.
The first concern deals with heartworm preventions that began life as a flea medication and then heartworm prevention was added to the product. Nexgard Plus is a prime example. When Nexgard first came on the market, it was a chewable that just treated for fleas and ticks. If one was using Nexgard, a heartworm prevention had to be added such as Heart Gard or the Pro Heart injection.
As time passed, the technology to add heartworm prevention to a flea-and-tick medication made it possible to create Nexgard Plus. This product treats for heartworms, fleas and ticks with a once-a-month chewable. The method of distribution (the chewy) and the frequency of dosing (once a month) is the same as the original product Nexgard.
This is now a problem because someone might buy Nexgard and think they are getting heartworm protection, too. One must watch closely and make sure they are ordering Nexgard Plus. If no one catches this, the pet could go for months — or even years — without heartworm prevention.
This also is a concern for Advantage Multi. The original company that created Advantage Multi also created Advantix and Advantage II. All three products have similar packaging. Advantage Multi treats for heartworms as well as fleas and intestinal parasites. Advantix treats for fleas and ticks only. Advantage II targets only fleas. If one is not careful, and one’s pet has been on Advantage Multi before, one might see Advantage II on the store shelf and think they are getting a great deal on Advantage Multi. Advantage II is cheaper because it only has the ingredient to kill fleas, not heartworms or intestinal parasites. Make sure you have your pet on heartworm prevention. Check the label.
I would like to go on splitting hairs with the topic of arthritis treatment for dogs. Veterinarians have always treated arthritis with medication and joint supplements. Medications dispensed at the veterinary office vary from NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) to all-natural Adequan injections. Veterinarians also recommend joint supplements that contain glucosamines, chondroitin sulfates and MSM. (methylsulfonylmethane).
Making sure arthritic pets stay on joint supplements is becoming more difficult. Pet owners are confusing the use of CBD products with joint supplements. CBD definitely has its place, but it is not a substitute for the long-term healing effect of the chondroitin sulfates and glucosamines. Unlike CBD, these products are building blocks for healthy cartilage. With cartilage, it is best to prevent damage. If a pet owner is giving CBD and not also giving a joint supplement, they are not doing what is best to protect the joint.
This also is true for the newer pain injection Librela. Librela is great for treating arthritic pain, but joint supplements also are needed to help the cartilage stay healthy. Think of joint supplements as a multivitamin for the joint. When using a joint supplement, it is important to use a veterinary approved product such as Cosequin, Dasuquin or Glyco Flex. One wants to be sure the product has the highest bioavailability.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Splitting hairs: heartworm medication, treating arthritis | Pet Peeves
