Keep Calm and Be Prepared for Heartworm Season

April is National Heartworm Awareness Month, and for good reason. Heartworm is a serious disease found throughout the entire United States that affects both dogs and cats. Prevention is the best medicine. It can be very difficult and expensive to treat infected dogs, and there is currently no treatment for cats.

The parasite Dirofilaria immitis, commonly called heartworm, is transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitoes. When an infected mosquito bites your pet it can transmit the Dirofilaria larvae into your pet’s bloodstream. Once inside your pet, the larvae continue to develop over the course of about six months. They make their way to the heart or lungs where they mature and reproduce. Adult worms live for years. They can grow to more than 12 inches long and cause blockages in the heart and lungs and damage to arteries.

Is My Pet At Risk?

Heartworm Incidence Map Courtesy of the American Heartworm Society

Heartworm disease is more prevalent throughout the midwest and southeast but has been diagnosed in all 50 states. Because infected mosquitoes can come inside, both outdoor and indoor pets are at risk.

The American Heartworm Society recommends that you “think 12:” (1) get your pet tested every 12 months and (2) give your pet heartworm preventive 12 months a year.

Preventatives

Heartworm medications kill immature worms and prevent them from maturing into adults that cause illness. For this reason, preventive medications are given continuously every 30 days because they kill the existing larvae, and cannot kill adult worms. Heartworm medications require a prescription from your veterinarian because annual blood testing is required to make sure your pet is not infected.

Oral Heartworm Diesease Preventatives Available at VetRxDirect

Oral Heartworm Preventatives Available at VetRxDirect

Some preventatives can also control intestinal parasites like hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Some products are even effective in treating external parasites such as fleas, ticks, ear mites, and the mite that causes scabies.

Stop Mosquitoes

It may be next to impossible to keep all mosquitoes away from your pet, but they can carry many other diseases that can harm your pet. Here are some helpful tips you can take to reduce their exposure to mosquito bites.

  • Use a parasite preventative for your pet that repels and kills mosquitoes
  • Use a pet-friendly insect repellant
  • Get rid of standing water sources around your home
  • Grow mosquito repelling plants like basil or marigolds
  • Use caution with yard pesticides

We have a large selection of heart worm and parasite preventative treatments for both dogs and cats. Choosing the right product for your pet should be done with the help of your veterinarian to make sure they have the best protection.

Pet Dewormers and Preventatives

Warmer weather brings a season of critters including intestinal and heart worms. When your pet has intestinal worms, it can be alarming but there is a wide array of treatment options available to rid the worms from your pet. There are also many preventatives for heartworms and intestinal worms, making it easy to keep the infestations at bay. The large amount of different wormers available can be confusing and hard to evaluate. This article, along with your veterinarian’s recommendations, can help you choose between the various de-wormers and preventative treatments against worms.

The right intestinal parasite ID is key:

An accurate identification of the worm is key in treating your pet’s infestation because most products are selective for certain worms. Heartworms will not be visible to you, but your pet will be experiencing serious symptoms such as cough, exercise intolerance, and abnormal lung sounds. These symptoms warrant an immediate visit to a veterinarian and possible hospitalization. When your pet has intestinal worms, you will likely notice the worms in their stools or surrounding fur.  Your veterinarian will probably be able to diagnose the intestinal worm with just a description, but some worms require an exam or stool sample for diagnosis.

Some of the most common worm infestations in dogs and cats include whipworms, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. Some of these worms are different in appearance and some are alike, making it hard to distinguish between them. This is especially true for the different types of tapeworms. There is a type called dipylidium caninum and they’re transmitted through infected fleas. They still resemble the appearance of other tapeworms, however these tapeworms are not always killed by the same medications as other tapeworms. It is important to talk to your veterinarian about any intestinal or heartworm infestation, because an accurate diagnosis and treatment is necessary to prevent complications and treatment failure.

More importantly, prevention:

The most important principle with worm infestations is preventing them from happening in the first place. There are several ways to keep worms at bay including keeping stools picked up, avoiding infested areas/pets, proper flea control, etc. You can also choose to use a preventative medication. These medications are usually administered monthly to your pet and can prevent and/or treat certain worm infestations. Heartworm preventative medications are necessary in almost all dogs because of the serious nature and frequency of heartworm infestation. All of the worm preventative medications work against heartworms for this reason but the products vary in what other worms they prevent or treat. You should also initiate worm prevention after an active infestation in your pet to reduce the chance of them coming back. Talk to your local veterinarian about specific ways to prevent worm infestations in your pet.

The two tables below display the various de wormers carried at VetRxDirect and what they are labeled to treat. The first table is the treatments we carry for pets with active intestinal worm infestations. Please note there are no heartworm treatment options from VetRxDirect because it’s an infestation requiring immediate and serious medical attention by your veterinarian. The second table shows the preventatives we carry for heartworms and intestinal worms. These tables can be used to supplement your veterinarian’s recommendations for purchasing worm treatments and preventatives.

Oral Dewormers for Active Parasite Infestation in Pets:

Oral Dewormers for Intestinal Parasites in Dogs and Cats

Click Anywhere on Table to Enlarge

Prescription Monthly Preventatives/Dewormers for Heartworms and Intestinal Parasites:

Prescription Monthly Preventatives/Dewormers for Dogs and Cats

Click Anywhere on Table to Enlarge

Take-home message about dewormers:

Prevention of worm infestations is one of the most important components for your pet’s healthy lifestyle. When prevention fails, the most effective way to treat your pet’s worm infestation is to have your veterinarian diagnose and prescribe medications specifically for your pet. OTC medications can be used with veterinarian approval or they may suggest a prescription product for your pet. Once the worms have been rid from your pet, it is important to initiate preventative measures or medications. Your veterinarian is a great resource to contact about preventing a re infestation in your pet.

What dewormers and worm preventatives have you given your pet? Did they work well? Let us know by leaving comments below or by clicking the ‘Reviews’ tab on any the dewormers or preventatives included in this post. Thank you.

Give Heartworm Preventatives Year Round

Photo by Brian KingHeartworm disease, a parasitic infection spread by mosquitoes, can affect any dog. They might be young, old, male, female, indoor, outdoor, a city and/or country pet, but no pooch is immune. A common disease, it is naturally more prevalent in areas with a large mosquito population.

Heartworms have an extremely long life cycle. Living within a dog’s heart and/or surrounding vessels, they actually grow anywhere from four inches to a foot long, reaching maturity twelve months post infection. These parasites can survive for as long as five to seven years. Offspring of adult heartworms also circulate within the infected animal’s blood. Quite often, a dog infected with heartworms will be asymptomatic in early stages of the disease.

Stressing a dog’s heart by restricting its blood flow as well as damaging other internal organs, heartworms are considered the most dangerous type of parasites that dogs can contract. A dog’s heart can become enlarged and weakened, leading to congestive heart failure which can be fatal.

Other common, less serious, parasitic infections dogs often contract include hookworms, tapeworms and roundworms.

Signs and Symptoms of heartworm disease in dogs include:

  • Dog has problems breathing.
  • Dog develops a cough.
  • Dog tires more quickly than usual.
  • Dog is listless.
  • Dog appears to be losing weight.
  • Dog has a distended abdomen.
  • Dog has a rough coat.

**Note**: Prompt detection and treatment avoid needless suffering for your dog.

If your dog has developed any of the above heartworm disease symptoms, here are steps that should be taken for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment:

  1. Blood Testing: Blood serum tests can determine the presence of heartworms in your dog’s bloodstream.
  2. Radiology and/or Ultrasound: In cases of more advanced stages of heartworm, x-rays and/or ultrasound are utilized to detect this parasitic infection.
  3. Medical Evaluation: Your dog’s veterinarian will perform a thorough medical examination to ascertain the progress of the disease.
  4. Follow-up Medication Visits: A series of follow-up visits will be needed in order for the doctor to administer several injections of strong anti-parasitic medication.
  5. Monitoring: Close monitoring of the animal is required, after the initial treatment, including hospitalization for a few days to keep the dog quiet.
  6. Surgery: In very severe cases, surgery may be required. This is very dangerous for the dog as well as expensive for the you.
  7. Confinement: Dead heartworms can cause strokes. Hence, the dog will need to be kept confined to a small room (or large crate) and not allowed to exercise for a few months after treatment is complete.

While you may find the above steps alarming, the good news is that the majority of dogs with heartworm disease can be successfully cured. This is typically accomplished with medications capable of killing both the adult parasites and their offspring.

However, there is no better cure than a proactive heartworm preventative! Heartworm prevention is considerably safer for your dog as well as much less expensive for you!

When given regularly and properly, heartworm preventative medications are very effective. They can successfully keep your beloved pet from contracting serious heartworm disease as well as control other types of parasitic infections (i.e. hookworm, roundworm, etc depending on medication).

It is essential your pet be kept on a monthly heartworm preventative regiment. Your dog still needs to be checked periodically to make sure the prescribed medication is providing adequate protection. 

One very effective heartworm product is Tri-Heart Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel). This combination medication is available in three different dosages of flavoured chewable tablets, depending on the size of your dog. Click here to read about additional pet meds for heartworm prevention or browse through VetRxDirect’s full selection of related treatments.

So do your part to keep your pup healthy and happy year-round by keeping heartworms at bay!

Should My Pet be on a Heartworm Prevention Medicine?

It’s hard to imagine parasites actually living inside of your pet’s heart, but they can. Annually, thousands of pets across the country still die from this easily preventable disease.

How to Start your Pet on Heartworm Prevention:

Heartworm ModelThe most important part of heartworm prevention is getting a yearly test. Even though it is still cold over much of the country, now is the time to schedule your pet’s spring exam. Getting a heartworm test will help ascertain whether your pet is free of heartworms and is ready to begin or continue on a heartworm preventive regimen. A heartworm test and 12 months of preventative saves you a lot of money as compared to treating a pet with heartworm disease.

Don’t let your pets live another day at the risk of heartworm infection! Help keep them protected today. Ask your veterinarian which prescription preventative is best for your pet in your area.

More Information About Heartworms:

Visit the FDA’s online resource Keep The Worms Out Of Your Pet’s Heart! The Facts About Heartworm Disease to learn more about symptoms of heartworm disease, heartworm tests for dogs and cats, treatment of heartworm disease, and heartworm prevention for pets.

Where to Buy Heartworm Prevention Medicine for Dogs and Cats:

VetRxDirect offers the most common heartworm preventatives at great prices. Buy heartworm prevention medicine at VetRxDirect today and SAVE!

 

Heartworm Prevention in Dogs

What are the chances of a dog getting heartworms?

A potentially deadly disease for many species of animals, dogs are highly susceptible to heartworm infection.  Spread by infected mosquitoes, incidence rates are highest along the coasts and near major waterway, such as the Mississippi River. A recent study found that nearly half of all dogs not on a heartworm preventative in these areas came down with the disease.  With that said, heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 U.S. states.

What is heartworm disease in dogs?

Once bitten by an infected mosquito, the heartworm larvae will take about six or seven months to mature into adult heartworms inside your dog. They then begin to reproduce and congregate in the lungs, blood vessels, and the heart.  These adult worms can grow up to a foot in length and have a lifespan of five to seven years.  A dog can survive with as many as 250 worms in its system, although the disease will cause a whole host of serious health problems.

Because they are parasites, heartworms must feed of their hosts, specifically on the nutrients in their blood. When the worms grow into mature bloodsuckers and there are a large number of them, your furry friend will begin to experience symptoms of heartworm infestation.

The single most common sign your dog is suffering from heartworms is a precipitous decline in energy level.  Since the heartworms steal the nutrients your dog needs to stay active, your pouch may refuse to engage in activities once enjoyed, such as walking, playing fetch, or swimming. Your pet may seem lethargic or dazed, even during the day.

In extreme cases, your dog may lose a significant amount of weight, even if the diet remains unchanged.  A persistent, hacking cough is another unmistakable symptom of heartworm disease, since the worms also migrate to the lungs. Rapid breathing may ensue shortly thereafter.

Diagnosis of Heartworm Disease in Dogs

According to most veterinarians, your dog should be tested for heartworm disease at least once a year. If caught at an early stage, the immature worms are relatively easy to exterminate.  But once they have reached maturity, heartworms can cause serious health problems, even death. The diagnosis involves a simple blood test for antigens and is inexpensive and extremely accurate.

If your dog tests positive for the disease, treatment can take several months if the worms have reached adulthood, since they are more difficult to kill than immature worms.  It can also be quite painful and your furry friend will have to rest for several months following treatment to prevent dead worms from entering the lungs.

Prevention of Heartworms in Dogs is the Key

Heartworm disease is completely preventable.  A tasty and inexpensive monthly chewable is all you need to protect your dog from the potentially deadly condition. These medications must be given year round, even during the colder months when mosquitoes are less prevalent.   Let us take a moment to discuss two of the most popular heartworm preventatives on the market today.

Heartgard Plus for Dogs

Heartgard Plus for Dogs is Ready to Ship from VetRxDirect

Heartgard Plus for Dogs

In addition to eradicating immature heartworms, Heartgard Plus tasty monthly chewable kills hookworms and roundworms as well.  Safe for canines six weeks and older, the powerful FDA-approved chemicals in Heartgard Plus for Dogs can control heartworms in your canine friend.  As with any prescription medication, it is important to speak with your veterinarian before giving it to your pet. Heartgard Plus is sold in packs of 6 or 12 and must be administered once a month, either with food or on its own.

Iverhart Max Flavored Chewables for Dogs

Iverhart Max is Available to Ship from VetRxDirect

Iverhart Max for Dogs

One of the most complete monthly medications on the market today, Iverhart Max Flavored Chewables protects your pouch from hookworm, tapeworm, roundworm, and heartworm.  Classified as an anthelminthic or dewormer, it contains ingredients that destroy immature worm infestation in short order.  In fact, each ingredient is designed to target a specific type of worm.  Ivermectin, for example, kills heartworm larvae soon after it is ingested.

Safe for canines over the age of 8 weeks, most veterinarians will test for heartworms before prescribing this medication.  Owners should follow dosing instructions while making sure not to miss a dose. If a dosage is missed, you should contact your veterinarian.

Now is the time to visit your pet’s veterinarian for a heartworm blood test and to talk about the best heartworm preventative for your pet and your area. There are other preventatives than those listed above. Leave a comment below and let us all know which heartworm prevention you use for your dog and your area.

 

Pet Meds for Heartworm Prevention

Placing pets on monthly medications for the prevention and treatment of heartworms not only saves pet’s lives, it also saves you a lot of money. Treating a pet with advanced heartworm disease is not only costly, but the outcome is not always pleasant for pets due to the harsh treatment on their bodies.

Here are some ways you can protect your pet from heartworm disease.

Oral Heartworm Disease Preventatives Available at VetRxDirect

Oral Heartworm Preventatives Available at VetRxDirect

Oral medications used to protect your cats and dogs from heartworm disease are now available in great tasting flavors pets will love. Some brands that supply these oral medications are:

Revolution for Cats Available at VetRxDirect

Revolution for Cats Available at VetRxDirect

 

 

Topical solutions for preventing and treating heartworms, as well as fleas and ticks, can effectively safeguard your pets. Talk to your veterinarian about these great products:

 

Most veterinarians prescribe a year supply of heartworm preventative after performing an annual heartworm test on your pet. After this exam, place your order at VetRxDirect.com. We will contact your veterinarian for prescription approval as soon as possible, usually the same business day. Placing orders at VetRxDirect is always easy and we ship fast- and FREE when your order is over $39.

The prevention of heartworm disease is always better than treatment. Do not let your pet live another day with the risk of heartworms. Talk to your veterinarian about protecting your pet with an oral medication or topical solution today!

Which preventative are you currently using on your pet? Does your pet like the taste or was it easy to apply? Let us know your experiences by leaving comments below.

Have a great weekend,

Wes