Do dogs really need heartworm medicine every month?

Do dogs really need heartworm medicine every month?

Heartworm disease can be prevented in dogs and cats by giving them medication once a month that also controls various internal and external parasites. Heartworm infections are diagnosed in about 250,000 dogs each year. 1 But there is no good reason for dogs to receive preventives all year; it is just not needed.

Do you give heartworm medication monthly?

Heartworm preventatives are generally given as a monthly dose and are available in several different types. These include monthly pills that you can hide in his food and topical treatments that you place on his skin that will deter mosquitos.

Do you need heartworm prevention all year?

Treatment can vary, as oral, injectable or topical, depending on the animal species, but they all target heartworm larvae, not adults. That’s one reason veterinarians often recommend that pets receive heartworm prevention medication all year long.

Do you have to give Heartgard every month?

A: The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round heartworm prevention. One reason is, there’s already a serious problem with people forgetting to give their dogs the heartworm preventatives. It’s a universal problem. Now if you use it year-round, and you miss a month, your dog will probably still be protected.

How can I get heartworm prevention without going to the vet?

Go to ABC Online Pharmacy (see resources) if you don’t mind using the generic brand of Heartgard. This will save you a lot of money over the course of a year, and the generic brand is known for being just as good as Heartgard. You don’t need a prescription since the company is based in Canada.

Can I start my dog on heartworm medicine without testing?

Puppies under 7 months of age can be started on heartworm prevention without a heartworm test (it takes at least 6 months for a dog to test positive after it has been infected), but should be tested 6 months after your initial visit, tested again 6 months later and yearly after that to ensure they are heartworm-free.

How do you get rid of heartworms in a dog without going to the vet?

The truth is that heartworm disease is a very serious disease that is better prevented than treated. There is only one drug that is approved to kill adult heartworms and it is called Immiticide™ (melarsomine). Immiticide™ is a patented medication.

How often should I give my dog heartworm prevention?

Veterinarians strongly recommend that dogs be given heartworm prevention all year round. In some parts of the country, where mosquitoes are less active in the winter months, you may be in the habit of only treating your dogs for heartworms half the year.

Where to give a year round heartworm preventive?

There are only a few areas in the U.S. in which giving a year-round heartworm preventive might be advisable — those areas are in south Texas, south Florida and a few other locations along the Gulf Coast. The rest of the U.S. ranges from three to seven months of high exposure risk.

Why is heartworm prevention more important than you think?

If for any reason the dog became infected with heartworms, treatment to rid the body of the infection must be started as early as possible to prevent permanent heart and lung damage. If you don’t test for the disease and your dog is infected, the heartworm disease will gradually progress and cause serious, life-threatening illness.

Why do you need a prescription for heartworm medication?

Why You Need a Prescription for Heartworm Medication. Additionally, there are several other reasons your veterinarian requires a yearly test for heartworms before giving you a prescription for the heartworm medication. You may have missed a dose, or your dog may have spit the heartworm medication out or vomited it up,…

When do you start doing heartworm prevention?

The American Heartworm Society recommends that you start heartworm prevention for puppies at 8 weeks of age and keep them on it year-round. Heartworm disease has been diagnosed in all 50 states, and there is growing concern about resistance to some preventatives-mostly due to inconsistent dosing by owners.

Does your heartworm prevention last all month?

Monthly heartworm prevention is not actually a real “preventative”; rather than killing and repelling the heartworm parasite throughout the month, it only kills the larvae present in your pet when you administer a dose.

What do you need to know about heartworm prevention?

• Topical Heartworm Prevention. Topical heartworm preventatives are applied to the skin on the back of the neck and are absorbed into the body.
• Oral Heartworm Prevention. Oral heartworm medications typically come in a chewable tablet that dogs usually see as treats.
• ProHeart 6 Heartworm Prevention Shot.
• Safety Considerations for Heartworm Prevention.

  Is heartworm prevention really necessary?

  Heartworm preventive medications are readily available . They are quite effective in preventing infection if administered as directed and are also quite safe. It is possible to treat an existing heartworm infection.