Where To Buy Heartworm Meds For Dogs
If you have two dogs and only one has heartworms, there is no risk of them passing the disease on to your other pet. Although dogs are the natural host for heartworms, they can also affect cats, ferrets, foxes, and wolves.
where to buy heartworm meds for dogs
It is true that the monthly oral and 6-month injectable preventives are very good. In addition, when inadvertently administered to a dog with microfilaremic heartworm infection, they are safer than the previous preventive (diethylcarbamazine), which produced severe, sometimes fatal, reactions in microfilaremic dogs. Reactions, albeit rare, can occur in microfilaremic dogs that are inadvertently treated, depending on microfilaria numbers and the product used.
One important consideration is compliance (Figure 1). Every study to date has shown that compliance, based on practice/owner surveys and product sales, is suboptimal, at best. In fact, a recent survey showed that more than 50% of dogs leave the clinic without their owners purchasing the amount of heartworm preventive recommended; this is true regardless of the geographic region under consideration. This indicates that veterinary practices are failing to effectively communicate with pet owners about the importance of heartworm prevention and testing.
With all these factors supporting the likelihood that preventive administration may be compromised, regular testing provides early knowledge of infection. If a pet is only tested every 2 or 3 years, undiagnosed infections create lung damage, while yearly testing can markedly reduce this damage by allowing earlier detection of heartworm presence. In addition, microfilaremic dogs receiving macrocyclic lactone preventives, which might be the case in undiagnosed infections, are considered at risk for contributing to the development of resistance.
Heartworms prefer canine hosts, which include dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes. Your neighborhood dogs may be heartworm-free, but mosquitoes can pick up heartworms from local wildlife, or stray dogs. Most rural and suburban areas have a thriving wildlife population in woodland pockets, and stray dogs can serve as an infection reservoir for city pets.
Because Heartworm is undetectable until at least 5 months after infection, many dogs are suffering from advanced Heartworm Disease by the time they are diagnosed, requiring swift and intense treatment. In rare cases, the damage to the dog's internal organs may be so severe by the time the condition is detected that it is better to treat the damage and keep the patient comfortable rather than assume the additional risks associated with attempting to kill the heartworms. Dogs in this advanced condition have a life expectancy of only a few weeks or months.
Thankfully, a new medication has been developed for killing adult heartworms while having fewer dangerous side effects. Melarsomine is an injectable drug that kills adult heartworms that is administered over the course of multiple injections. Typically your dog will be given a 30 day rest period after their first injection, after which they will receive two more injections 24 hours apart. Antibiotics will also be prescribed to combat any infectious bacteria the heartworms may be carrying. With this new medication, 95% of dogs with heartworms are now able to be successfully treated.
It is critical that your dog be allowed to rest following their injection. Heartworm treatment in dogs kills the Adult heartworms within a few days, but further complications can occur while their corpses are decomposing. It can take several months for the heartworms to be reabsorbed into the patient's bloodstream. Most post-treatment complications arise from these fragments of decomposing heartworms, so to minimize this risk your dog must not be allowed to exercise and should be kept as quiet as possible for the first month following treatment. For seven to eight weeks following injection, a cough will be noticeable. If this cough persists beyond this or is especially severe, as well as if your dog is demonstrating shortness of breath or fever, contact your veterinarian right away.
Revolution (selamectin) can help dogs avoid flea infestations, parasitic infections, and heartworm disease. However, Revolution is also a good product for your feline friends. Whether you have a dog or a cat that requires protection against a broad spectrum of infections, they can achieve protection by taking Revolution once per month.
The testing is aimed at pre-clinical infections. Also for dogs who have high numbers of Heartworm larvae in their bloodstreams, taking preventative medications can be dangerous as killing off large numbers of larvae can cause allergic type reactions in some pets. But the medications are (in the vast majority of cases) very safe and effective, even for heartworm positive dogs.
Unfortunately, there is no effective cure for heartworm in cats, which is why prevention is so important! While heartworm can be treated in dogs, treatment can be perilous and is quite expensive. Learn more in "Heartworms Suck! What You Should Know About Mosquitoes, Heartworm Disease, and Your Cat."
Trifexis prevents heartworm disease. Trifexis kills fleas and prevents flea infestations, and treats and controls adult hookworm, roundworm and whipworm infections in dogs and puppies 8 weeks and older and 5 pounds or more.
The use of ivermectin at higher than FDA-approved doses at the same time as Trifexis can result in serious side effects. Treatment with fewer than three monthly doses after the last exposure to mosquitoes may not provide complete heartworm prevention. Prior to administration of Trifexis, dogs should be tested for existing heartworm infection. Use with caution in breeding females. The safe use of Trifexis in breeding males has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with pre-existing epilepsy. The most common adverse reactions reported are vomiting, decreased activity, itching, decreased appetite, and diarrhea. To ensure heartworm prevention, observe your dog for one hour after administration. If vomiting occurs within an hour of administration, redose with another full dose. Puppies less than 14 weeks of age may experience a higher rate of vomiting. For complete safety information, please see Trifexis product label or ask your veterinarian.
Heartgard is a medication for dogs that can be taken once per month to prevent heartworms. It comes in beef chewable tabs so that your dog will want to eat it. Heartgard also has a Plus version that additionally protects your dog against hookworms and roundworms. You can get Heartgard through your vet or save a few dollars by buying it without a prescription in Canada. 041b061a72