Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Sedative after heartworm treatment?

Species: Dog
Breed: Boxer/Lab
Age: 2-5 years
Hello Dr. Marie,

I have a 2 and a half year old boxer/lab that is being treated for heartworm. She received her first injection two days ago on the 3rd. She seems to be doing okay. I can tell that she is very sore and not feeling herself. I know that she needs to stay rested and calm. Our vet said that if we know we are going to have people over, we should give her a sedative. I guess what I am wondering is how concerned should I be about her getting too excited and for how long??

Also would it be all right to give her some sort of sedative?

Thank you so much.

Jordan


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Kenna has to go through heartworm treatment. It sounds like your vet is giving Immiticide injections which is the common treatment for heartworm.

There are a couple of reasons why we recommend to keep a dog quiet after Immiticide is given. One is because the injection can cause severe bruising which makes the muscles sore. (The muscles that will be sore are on the top of the dog's back, near the end of the back). So, we need to not have her move around too much and cause more pain to herself.

The other reason is that the medication will be killing worms that are living in her heart. If she is extremely active her heart rate will go up and this will cause more stress on her heart that is already dealing with a lot.

Regarding the sedative, this is really something you need to get your vet's ok to do. I am not legally allowed to advise medications online. Your vet may prescribe something to help you out. There really isn't an over the counter medication that would be safe and effective.

I hope the rest of treatment goes ok!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Vomiting kitten My 4 month old kitten was fine 3 days ago, then she suddenly regurgitated her... (22138 views)

Pregnant cat in heat? I thought Clhoe was pregnant , she went into (Heat)a month ago and was seen being...... (17648 views)

Bumpy skin on back. My cat BonBon has a significant amount of dry, bumpy, itchy, red skin on her back... (14596 views)

Not putting weight on leg. Our cat jumped off the fridge and did something to his back leg. He limps now. When... (14766 views)

Can't bear weight. This isn't my pet, it is my sister in law's pet. Over the past few months, the dog... (9654 views)

High liver enzymes. After vomiting, we took him to the vet, thinking it was a sinus or allergy... (14798 views)

Dog's eye is closed. Hello, My dog was playing with his toy and shaking it around and when he was... (43727 views)

Pink growths on chest of dog. Sometime in the past 4 weeks my dog has developed small string like pink growths on... (18303 views)

53 days pregnant. My daughter got a dachshund from one of her inlaws about three months ago. Shortly... (59132 views)

Cat's heart rate question. Does the heart-rate depend on the age of the... (10410 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.