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...

Milk coming out of squirrel's nose. I have an orphaned squirrel that doesn't have his eyes open yet. He has aspirated... (11016 views)

Connection between dandruff and diabetes? My pet has recently been diagnosed with Diabetes. She is on 5 units of insulin 2x... (15376 views)

Will spay terminate pregnancy? It is a possibility my dog might be pregnant. But my mom wants to get her spayed... (14174 views)

Dog ate acorn Dear Dr. Marie: Back again! While on a walk tonight, Jammy may have gotten a bit... (99946 views)

Dog ate duck bones. Hi Dr. Marie, Poppy nipped one piece of cooked duck wing bone 2 days ago at lunch... (30307 views)

Inverted vulva and puppy vaginitis. I have purchased a Golden Retriever to be used as a new dog for breeding. She is... (43039 views)

Sneezing cat. We have adopted a feral cat off the back porch in November. We think she is about 2... (13248 views)

Cat peeing on the carpet. My cat will not stop urinating on the carpet, she has seen a vet and has no medical... (12796 views)

Swollen paw in a cat. My year old cat's right paw is bloated , I tried to look more closely and the fur... (20574 views)

Panting after insulin. My 6 year old dog was Diagnosed with diabetes 5 months ago. Having some trouble... (42106 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.