Prior to starting on any kind of heartworm prevention for dogs medicine, it is very important that you get your dog tested for heartworm by a vet. The American Heartworm Society's recommendation that all dogs should be tested annually is becoming widely accepted. The heartworm test is designed to reveal whether juvenile heartworm larvae called microfilariae are present in the dog's blood as their presence will prove the presence of adult heartworms too. Heartworm preventative medicines will not kill adult heartworms although they may shorten their lifespan.
Whilst preventative dog heartworm medicine can protect your dog very effectively, you need to be sure that there are no adult worms present, even if your dog has been on heartworm prevention. If you have a puppy over six months of age, he will also need a heartworm test is he is not already taking heartworm prevention medicine.
There are three types of heartworm preventative commonly used today. 1)Two injections a year of heartworm prevention medication which must be given by a vet but which protects the dog all year. 2)Heartworm pills which are divided into two types, the plain pills or the chewable type. It is important that this type of treatment is given very regularly and the same day each month is recommended. 3)Topical heartworm medications, sometimes called Spot On treatments which are dropped onto skin on the back of the dog's neck.
All orally given heartworm medications, no matter which brand you buy work in much the same way as they are all designed to kill the microfilariae. These will not prevent mosquitoes from biting your dog so heartworm prevention must continue to protect your dog from infection.
If you have difficulty getting your dog to take any pills or medication, you could either buy some purpose made pill pockets which are designed to disguise the tablet and make a treat for your dog. Heartworm chewables are available on the market and dogs usually love these but unfortunately, some dogs are unable to tolerate some of the ingredients used to make the chew so this could rule out using this method for your dog.
If you choose the topical heartworm preventative, you will find it easy to use and have the added reassurance that it also controls fleas and ticks as well as other internal parasites.
As mentioned, heartworm pills should be administered on the same day each month and forgetting to give your dog his monthly pill will reduce his protection so if you realise that you have missed the dose by more than a few days, it is probably wise to check with your vet. If you have missed a couple of doses, your vet may recommend another test for heartworm.
If you decide at any time to change from one type of preventative to another, make sure that you change at the time you should have given the next dose of the product your dog is currently on. This ensures that your dog does not inadvertently get too much of the heartworm prevention medicine in his system.
Whilst preventative dog heartworm medicine can protect your dog very effectively, you need to be sure that there are no adult worms present, even if your dog has been on heartworm prevention. If you have a puppy over six months of age, he will also need a heartworm test is he is not already taking heartworm prevention medicine.
There are three types of heartworm preventative commonly used today. 1)Two injections a year of heartworm prevention medication which must be given by a vet but which protects the dog all year. 2)Heartworm pills which are divided into two types, the plain pills or the chewable type. It is important that this type of treatment is given very regularly and the same day each month is recommended. 3)Topical heartworm medications, sometimes called Spot On treatments which are dropped onto skin on the back of the dog's neck.
All orally given heartworm medications, no matter which brand you buy work in much the same way as they are all designed to kill the microfilariae. These will not prevent mosquitoes from biting your dog so heartworm prevention must continue to protect your dog from infection.
If you have difficulty getting your dog to take any pills or medication, you could either buy some purpose made pill pockets which are designed to disguise the tablet and make a treat for your dog. Heartworm chewables are available on the market and dogs usually love these but unfortunately, some dogs are unable to tolerate some of the ingredients used to make the chew so this could rule out using this method for your dog.
If you choose the topical heartworm preventative, you will find it easy to use and have the added reassurance that it also controls fleas and ticks as well as other internal parasites.
As mentioned, heartworm pills should be administered on the same day each month and forgetting to give your dog his monthly pill will reduce his protection so if you realise that you have missed the dose by more than a few days, it is probably wise to check with your vet. If you have missed a couple of doses, your vet may recommend another test for heartworm.
If you decide at any time to change from one type of preventative to another, make sure that you change at the time you should have given the next dose of the product your dog is currently on. This ensures that your dog does not inadvertently get too much of the heartworm prevention medicine in his system.
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