My dog has tremors from heartworm meds. Can I stop cold turkey?

Depending on the type of heart worm preventative you gave, it can cause upset tummy like vomiting and even diarrhea. Next time I would recommend to make sure she has had a full meal prior to giving the medicine or you can change to a different medicine all together. Finally, if she isn't improved by tomorrow I would contact your vet for an exam and make sure she doesn't need any fluids or anti-nausea medicine. I hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rusty. Have you sought a second opinion with a neurologist? That would be my first recommendation. You can also contact the manufacturer of the heartworm prevention to report your concerns. I hope this information helps!

The injection can be very painful. This could be why she is shivering. If it persists, contact your veterinarian and ask about pain management. If she becomes extremely lethargic or extremely painful, have her rechecked by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

I personally think it would be better to skip the medication or potentially use a different prescription medication like Cerenia since Dramamine can affect behavior. You should check in with your vet however to see what they would prefer.

Both doxycycline and prednisone can cause vomiting and diarrhea. I am not sure of the dose that your dog is on but maybe your vet could adjust the dose so he has less gastrointestinal problems. Feeding the medication with a meal can sometimes help with the gastrointestinal side effects so make sure to give with food. Your vet could also prescribe an anti-vomiting medication, probiotic, and GI protectant which may help, too. At this point, If he is just going to vomit the medication than it doesn't make sense to give it. You should wait and see if your vet can prescribe additional medications to help with the vomiting and diarrhea. If the vomiting and diarrhea has stopped, you could try to give one medication at a time with food and see how he does.

Those symptoms can be normal the first day after such an intense treatment with Immiticide and also with Tramadol. The side effects that can be seen with Tramadol are as follows: "Tramadol appears to be well tolerated in dogs. Potentially, it could cause a variety of adverse effects associated with its pharmacologic actions, including: CNS effects (excessive sedation, agitation, anxiety, tremor, dizziness), or GI effects (inappetence, vomiting, constipation to diarrhea)." With that said, I would still opt to get Clementine examined by a vet soon, especially if her gait continues to be affected and if she isn't drinking water and having normal urinations. Her gums should always look pink, and her breathing should be normal (not panting). I hope that your pet Clementine is able to recover well from her rough 1st day of heartworm treatment. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, sometimes as the worms are dying off that can result in respiratory issues as they dislodge. Paleness and cold extremities can sometimes be seen in patients that have abnormal oxygen delivery which can happen in these cases. Usually the first 2 weeks are critical when treating for heartworms. I recommend that you him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. It would be good to check if he is having any issues with oxygen delivery. Good luck!