Heartworm Medicine

If you are looking for the best deals on discount heartworm medicine check out the link to the right.  We have found a pet med supplier able to offer exceptional prices on a wide range of pet medicines, including all the most popular heartworm preventatives, both generic and branded.

If you want more information about why heartworm medicine is so important for cats and dogs, please stick around and check out the rest of this article.

Each heartworm medicine uses an ingredient that is able to safely and efficiently destroy any tissue stage heartworms found in the system.  You might expect it to prevent infestation, but this is very difficult since it is the humble mosquito that passes heart worm parasites onto our cats and dogs.

Preventing a mosquito bite is pretty much impossible, so instead the medications assume infection could have occurred in the month prior to treatment.  They contain just enough of the active ingredients to destroy these juvenile parasites before they are in danger of posing any threat to the health of our pets.

The FDA control all the medications we give our pets. They have ruled that all heartworm preventatives are only to be made available with a prescription, to show that you are using them under the guidance of a qualified vet.

In Canada, some source their medications from Europe and Australia where some are available prescription free.   The end result is that it is possible to buy the most popular heartworm medicine without prescription being needed. Though it is a slightly gray area, the American customs have confirmed that they will not pursue prescription medications being brought in from Canada (either human or animal products), because the scale of the issue is so large. Many pet owners therefore order from Canada, to benefit from lower prices, no sales tax and the ability to order prescription free heartworm medicine for dogs and cats.

If you are buying your pet meds in such a way it is crucial that you understand exactly how they should be used, since you will not be speaking to your vet each time you buy. It is relatively straightforward to use heartworm preventatives, but to be effective and safe the instructions must be followed exactly.

Except for very young puppies, any dog not previously given a preventative heartworm medicine will require a test for the presence of adult parasites before starting a course of prevention. Your vet can do this, and it is a pretty simple blood-test that ideally should be repeated each year.

There are two main types of heartworm medicine for dogs and cats currently available; topical spot on treatments, or oral products.  Additionally some vets may offer the Proheart 6 monthly injection for dogs.  But this is more widely used in Europe and Australia than the United States at present.

Whichever heartworm preventative you choose is merely a matter of personal preference, since all are certified by the FDA to prevent heartworm disease if used correctly.

For safe and effective treatment it is important to choose the correct dose of heartworm medication and this will be dependent on the weight of the animal to be treated.

Advantage Multi (also branded as Advocate) and Revolution (also branded as Stronghold) are both topical heartworm medications, available as heartworm medicine for cats and dogs.

These are pricier than many of the pills available such as Heartgard Plus for dogs.  But because they include flea control treatments too, they can save pet owners money as well as simply being more convenient to use.  With a topical treatment you always know for sure that the medication has been taken properly.

It is important to ensure the liquid drops are absorbed completely, so place them directly onto the skin not on the fur of the animal.  Once dry the medication is waterproof so swimming or bathing is fine after around 2 hours.

There are a wide range of oral heartworm medicines available.  Heartgard uses ivermectin, which is the most traditional monthly heartworm pill ingredient around.  Because these were developed some time ago there are ow generic versions available too (notably Nuheart with its soluble pills and Valuheart from Australia).  

Heartgard Plus contains an additional ingredient so that one treatment controls certain intestinal parasites as well as preventing heartworm disease.  Both Heartgard and Heartgard Plus are provided as over-sized chewable treats that most dogs love, and both are available as much cheaper generic heartworm pills.

For those wanting to avoid ivermectin, there are several choices available including cheap Proheart tablets, and expensive Interceptor and Sentinel Flavor Tabs (which are available only with a prescription in Canada as well as the US).