Heartworm Medicine: Pro-Active Attention to Avert Heartworm

Heartworm medicine is critical to preventing your animal from contracting heartworm, particularly in areas rife with mosquitoes, the insects responsible for carrying the disease. To find out more abou...

Heartworm medicine is critical to preventing your animal from contracting heartworm, particularly in areas rife with mosquitoes, the insects responsible for carrying the disease. To find out more about heartworm prevention drugs, including how to administer them and possible side effects, read on.

Brands of Heartworm Medications

In the U.S., the drugs approved for heartworm prevention are moxidectin (sold under the brand ProHeart), ivermectin (a popular drug usually sold as Heartgard) and milbemycin (also known as Sentinel or Interceptor). These drugs are usually sold as pills and are available at most veterinarian offices.

Moxidectin is also available as an injection that covers either a 6-month or 12-month period and is administered by a veterinarian, but not in the United States. Pet owners in Japan, Canada, Australia and Korea can obtain moxidectin injections under the brand names ProHeart6 and ProHeart12.

For cats, heartworm prevention medicine is available as milbemycin (also sold as Interceptor for cats), ivermectin (sold as Heartgard for felines) and selamectin (sold as Revolution for Cats), which is a topical cream.

How Effective is Heartworm Medicine?

Preventive heartworm drugs are very effective and when regularly administered will protect more than 99% of cats and dogs from heartworm infection.

Usually, if a heartworm medication fails, it is because of pet owner error - the person did not administer the heartworm pills on schedule or did so incorrectly. That said, the monthly doses are fairly effective, so if a month is missed, most animals are still protected as long as the next two month's doses are administered on time.

How to Use Heartworm Medication

Monthly drugs for heartworm prevention should be given to your pet beginning a month before the start of your local mosquito season. The treatment should then continue for a month after the end of typical mosquito activity.

In tropical and sub-tropical climates with year-round mosquito activity, most veterinarians recommend that animals take heartworm prevention drugs throughout the entire year. Some also recommend it for colder regions, but it's not typically necessary unless you plan to travel with your pet.

Most heartworm drugs are available as chewable tablets. For pets that don't like taking pills, veterinarians often recommend hiding the pills in their food.

Side Effects of Heartworm Drugs

Side effects for most heartworm drugs are rare, but this may be because it is difficult to diagnose unapparent side effects or impacts that aren't obvious. Remember, your dog can't tell you that he's having a headache.

However, higher doses of heartworm medicine can cause diarrhea, tremors, weight loss, vomiting and possibly death. It's important to never give your pet a double dose and to keep your heartworm medication safely out of reach of both your pet and your children.?