You need to be careful when choosing which heartworm prevention medication that you give your dog, given the seriousness of a heartworm infestation.
The heartworm prevention medicine put on the market in 2001 called Proheart Six only required that your pet be injected two times within the year. At first, the heartworm prevention was believed to be a safe & easy way to administer care and prevention to pets, however the FDA of the USA intervened when reports of more than 5,000 pets became ill as a reaction from the medicine. Of the 5,000 reported there were 415 fatalities.
ProHeart 6 caused many more deaths and adverse reactions than monthly heartworm treatments, according to the FDA. Reactions to ProHeart 6 led to 138 deaths each year, while reactions to Sentinel and Heartgard heartworm protection were as few as six per year.
Without wanting to scare any pet owners out there, it's wise to remind people that giving any kind of dogs heartworm control can cause allergic reactions. In the worst case scenario, they might result in the death of your pet.
The FDA 2004 study showed that Revolution had a total of over 8500 adverse reactions and 36 deaths each year; the average number of reactions was about the same as for ProHeart 6, but since the latter is newer to the market, ProHeart 6 has a death rate thrice as high.
Revolution is not necessarily unsafe. The high numbers of deaths are partially due to its very widespread use, however you should still educate yourself on the facts. Only 214 negative reactions were caused by Interceptor for canines, which is eight times less than Revolution. Interceptor averages a mere nine deaths per year, compared to ProHeart Six's average of 138.
Indeed between 1995 and 2004 only 84 deaths were recorded for Interceptor heart worm protection. Heartgard, which uses ivermectin for heartworm protection in its Heartgard chewables, had an average of 355 reactions and 6 deaths.
Sentinel, another flea, parasite & heartworm protection medication, scores lowest with adverse reactions and deaths. Between 1999 and 2004, this heartworm prevention for dogs caused less than 900 adverse reactions, making an average of 233 compared to Revolution heartworm treatment for dogs at 1737, and the total number of deaths was 25, making the average 6.
Proheart 6 should only be used as a preventative heartworm control for your dog and never be used if a heartworm infection has already presented itself. Your vet may still recommend Proheart 6 as many still believe it to be safe. However other vets only provide the monthly heartworm prevention and treatment option as they feel that it is safer. As of 2007, the heartworm protection medicine was still on the market despite the fact that Proheart 6 was recalled three years before in September of 2004.
Of course you want what is best for your pet as it is a family member, not a statistical reading, however these adverse reactions in which you have been informed of are from millions of dogs throughout the world and are considerably low. If you are concerned about your pets health, choosing prevention is the best action for you. Discuss your options with your vet and ask all the questions in which you deem necessary.
Please do not underestimate the devastating effect of heartworms in dogs. By choosing an easy to administer monthly dose of heartworm preventive medicine, you can spare your pet a lot of hardship.
