Heartworm Prevention

Heartworm preventative measures include the drugs ivermectin, milbemycin, and selamectin, and in all cases it is much better to use heart worm protection for dogs rather than cure the infestation once established. Treatments using heart worm medications for existing infestations are lengthy, and your pet may require surgical intervention too. As you can imagine even with pet insurance, things can add up, so it’s best to seek out some heartworm prevention rather than wait and risk your luck (and your pet’s health).

Heartworm Protection For Dogs

Luckily there are many brands of heartworm protection on the market. Heartworm meds which prescribed for the treatment of heart worm are are different to those used for prevention. Traditionally arsenic compounds were used for heartworm control once the infection had taken hold, but many cats and some dogs suffered from pulmonary problems several days after the treatment, so generally these arsenic compounds are avoided in cat treatment. Heartworm treatment for dogs may typically last 18 months if a weaker compound is used, which is not really acceptable in all but a few cases.

Chewable Heartgard Plus & Interceptor

Heartworm medication just like any medicine can be hard to administer, especially if you are dealing with another species who don’t understand you are trying to help them. Heartworm pills are probably not in the top ten of favorite dog tastes, so fortunately companies such as Merial who make Heartgard canine heartworm prevention manufacture chewable Heartgard Plus in beef flavour. Bad news for heartworm, Heartgard has been shown to be very effective in the fight against heart worm. This heartworm medicine, just like Interceptor heartworm prevention, also protects against roundworms.

Revolution & Sentinel

Heart worm disease is one of a number of parasites that the Revolution program flea control tackles, although if your aim is solely to get rid of fleas you may find Advantage for dogs a better option. Advantage flea control for dogs however, will not protect against heartworm, which Revolution does. If you like all in one solutions for parasites and heart worm, Sentinel heartworm treatment also tackles fleas, roundworms and other parasites. Only Sentinel and Revolution offer both flea and heartworm protection. All other canine heartworm protection will not protect against fleas, so in your mission for dog heart worm protection, don’t forget fleas.

Proheart Six & High Death Rates

However, you should choose the heartworm prevention medication you give to your pet with care which is where DogBuffs can help. Proheart Six, a heartworm prevention medicine released in 2001 with one injection administered every six months. Seemingly providing a worry free way of taking care of heartworm prevention twice yearly, it came under close scrutiny from the FDA in the USA after more than 5,000 reports of adverse reactions were received, including 415 deaths. The FDA investigated and figures show the number of deaths per year caused by adverse reactions to ProHeart 6 were much higher than monthly heartworm medications. On average of 138 deaths a year compared with as few as 6 for Heartgard heartworm protection and Sentinel (Source FDA: As of 05/03/2004).

Proheart Vs. Revolution

Without wanting to scare any pet owners out there, it’s wise to remind people that taking any kind of dogs’ heartworm control can cause allergic reactions. In the worst case scenario, they might result in the death of your pet. Here are the facts from the 2004 FDA source: Revolution heartworm protection averaged 36 deaths a year and more than eight and a half thousand reactions, so although the number of reactions was almost twice that of Proheart 6, the drug has been on the market longer, so the average number of reactions was similar to Proheart 6, but the death rate of Proheart 6 was over three times as many. Revolution is a very popular flea and heartworm prevention, and these figures do not mean you should not use it, but just be aware.

Interceptor & Lower Death Rates

Interceptor for dogs only had an average of 214 adverse reactions over its entire lifespan – that’s eight times fewer than Flea and Heartworm control, Revolution. The average deaths from Interceptor dogs heart worm control is a staggering 9 compared to 138 for Proheart Six. Indeed between 1995 and 2004 only 84 deaths were recorded for Interceptor heart worm protection.

Heartgard & Sentinel Have Lowest For Adverse Reactions & Deaths

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’ 1737) and the total number of deaths was 25, making the average 6.

Proheart 6 Recalled September ’04

Proheart 6 is not recommended for established heartworm infections, but only preventative heartworm control for dogs. Many vets still believe Proheart to be safe if properly prepared and administered, but many choose monthly heart worm prevention and treatment as a safer option. Proheart 6 was recalled in September 2004 but is still available in 2007 as a heartworm protection medicine.

Heart Worm Prevention Is Easy & Safe

We realize your pet is a member of the family and not a statistic in a dogs heartworm protection table, but be reassured that these are the results of millions of dogs being given the drugs worldwide. Speak to your vet if you are at all concerned, but do choose a prevention. 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.

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