Choosing a Heartworm Preventative for Dogs

Heartworm preventative medication is used periodically to prevent the development of heartworms and kill heartworms larvae if they entered the dog’s body. There are several types of heartworm prevention medication on the market, so you can choose from oral tablets, injections, chewable products or medication with topical application. Another aspect to be taken into consideration when you choose a heartworm preventative medication is the types of parasites it protects against. If you cannot choose on your own, you can always resort to professional advice.

Heartworm Disease in Dogs

Heartworm disease is caused by parasites which live in your dog’s body and attack the heart. The parasites larvae are transmitted through mosquito bites, they incubate for a few days and then start affecting the dog’s internal organs, especially the heart. If left untreated, the disease can be lethal. However, this disease is easily prevented through a series of medications available on the market.

Choosing a Heartworm Preventative for Dogs

When it comes to deciding on which medication to administer your dog, the first option is, consulting your veterinarian; the doctor could even offer samples of different types of preventative so that you can try them first.

There are also several other factors you can take into consideration: the type of administration you prefer, the price or the range of parasites it covers.

When deciding on a particular heartworm preventative medication, weigh your dog to find out the dosage you are supposed to administer. Usually heartworm preventatives are dosed according to the dog’s weight. Repeat the procedure every month before starting a new preventative treatment.

Oral Preventatives for Heartworms in Dogs

If you are comfortable with administering tablets to your dog, you can opt for oral preventatives.

Besides pills, you can also find heartworm preventative medication in the form of treats or chewable tablets. This might not be a good option if your dog has food allergies or if you are not able to respect administration timing.

Injections for Heartworms in Dogs

Besides medication, you can choose vaccines to prevent heartworm disease in your dog. There are a series of vaccines available on the market which you can use for prevention. Vaccination has to be done once a month, especially during mosquito season. If you cannot administer the injections yourself, you will have to go to the veterinarian.

Topical Preventatives for Heartworms in Dogs

Heartworm preventatives, which can be applied directly on the skin, could be a good choice as you also protect your dog against other parasites such as fleas or even ticks.

Topical preventatives are administered by applying one or two drops of medication between the shoulder blades of the pet every month.

Spot ons are a good option if you are looking for a large coverage and they help with other parasites as well. Moreover, these are easy to use, especially if your dog doesn’t like taking pills or visiting the veterinarian for injections.

 

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