The Best Heartworm Medicine

Having learnt about heartworm disease in dogs and cats, we obviously want to use an effective preventative heartworm medicine. But which one? How do you find the best heartworm medicine for your pet?

Well firstly, all the products labelled as heartworm medicine have to work. They are all controlled medicines and are all effective, when administered properly. So if all you want to do is ensure your dog does not contract heartworm you can use any form of preventative heartworm medication.

But, this is assuming that firstly you have your dog checked and know that it definitely does not already carry heartworms. Dogs which do have any degree of heartworm adults or larvae must be treated for the disease under veterinary supervision. Secondly, all heartworm medications work effectively IF they are administered at the recommended interval.

As long as you know your dog is heartworm free AND that you will definitely administer heartworm medicine every 30 days (from monthly products) or every day (for daily heartworm tablets) you can choose any product to ensure your pet remains heartworm free. This is good news for your dog but does make finding the best heartworm medication less obvious.

How to Choose the Best Heartworm Medicine

Choosing the best heartworm medication is then, a matter of personal preference.

• Firstly you need to decide whether you prefer to use oral heartworm pills or spot on heartworm medicine. Heartworm pills come in flavoured chewable formulations now. So as long as your dog is not allergic to beef even the fussiest tablet taker can be given oral heartworm medicines. But if you find oral medicines difficult there are spot on treatments available too. Many pet owners find these much easier to administer. But, if your pet has particularly sensitive skin you could find minor allergic reactions to the non-active constituents in topical heartworm medications a problem.
• Secondly, do you want to control any other parasites? Whilst the cheapest heartworm medicines all fight heartworm effectively, you can pay a little more and have the convenience of controlling other common parasites at the same time. To control hookworms and roundworms whilst preventing heartworms, dogs can be given Heartgard Plus. Interceptor Flavor Tabs will control heartworm disease, hookworm, roundworm and whipworm. Spot on heartworm meds can incorporate flea control too. Revolution controls fleas and prevents heartworm while Advantage Multi offers almost total parasite control by destroying fleas, heartworms, roundworm, hookworm and whipworm.

Once you have answered the two questions above you will have narrowed down your search to a few brands.

• If you think you are likely to ever forget to give your dog heartworm medicine at the right time, you should choose ivermectin based heartworm pills such as Heartgard. This is the most effective drug at destroying larval heartworms which have been in the animals system for longer than a month. Of course using the medication at the correct time interval is to be preferred.
  
• Likewise, if there is any chance that your pet has been exposed to heartworm in the past this is the drug of choice. The alternatives kill parasites much more quickly which can be a quite a shock to the system if the animal is host to lots of parasites. Though of course a test for the disease would be the preferred option.
• If your dog is a collie breed you may have concerns regarding ivemectin based products. It is true that collie breeds sometimes have a genetic mutation which means high doses of ivermectin can be poisonous. In truth, the FDA and American Heartworm Society have found the dose of ivermectin in preventative heartworm medications so low that collies are not at risk if they are used. But it is understandable that many owners of collies feel more comfortable using an alternative such as Program which uses Moxidectin to destroy parasites.

Now you should have a clear idea of which brand you prefer. But the choices don't stop yet, as you could choose to use a generic heartworm medicine equivalent to the brand you've researched. This is definitely the option to choose if you want to keep your dogs heartworm medicine bills to a complete minimum.

Most importantly know that you can't really make a wrong decision. All available heartworm medicines do what you need - they destroy larval worms before they mature and cause any sign of disease. The choices are all about ease of use, price, and whether to incorporate other parasite treatments.

All available heartworm medicine is safe, if administered correctly. The only type which has experienced any sort of suspected risk is the heartworm injection. But even this risk is very uncertain. Although the product was temporarily withdrawn from use in the US, it is one of the most widely used forms of heartworm prevention in Europe and Australia. In those regions there have been no reported problems at all. If you do choose an injection you will need to have it administered every year or six months, by your vet.

Don't forget your vet is a great source of advice, even if not always the best source of discounts. Heartworm medicine should be discussed with your vet whilst they are carrying out your dogs annual heartworm test. Armed with the experienced advice they can give on brands, you can then hunt down the best prices or even opt for generic alternatives, to find the best heartworm medicine for you and your pets.