Heartworm Preventative & Its Importance

Today let’s talk about heartworm preventative. Heartworms are becoming a bigger and bigger problem in our area. Heartworm prevention must be taken monthly.

Heartworm is an extremely serious condition affecting over one million pet dogs each year, but the good news is that with proper preventive care, this disease can be managed

First, there are NO over the counter heartworm preventatives on the market. You must get a prescription from your veterinarian. Your dog will need a yearly heartworm test to confirm they are still negative. Even being a few days or weeks late one time can be enough for the prevention to fail and your dog get heartworms. TriHeart is probably the most affordable on the market at about $5 per dose, Heartgard is a close second at $10 or so depending on size. There are also many products now that combine flea and tick prevention with heartworm preventative like Simparica Trio. It will run you roughly $35 per month. You can also opt for a ProHeart injection which protects your pet for 6 or 12 months. This is what our family has opted to do since no amount of calendar reminders kept us on time with our preventative. It is roughly the same cost as Heartgard based on weight.

Now those options may seem expensive but let’s talk about heartworm treatment. The first step is 30 days of doxycycline which has become more and more expensive. Then you have to do 3 injections of Immiticide or similar at the cost of roughly $1500. On top of the expense the longer the worms remain in your dogs heart and lungs the more damage is done.

Please keep your dog on preventative year round. If you are fostering a DogRRR Dogm please make sure to request the prevention monthly. It is important for puppies to be weighed each month until they reach their adult weight. After that we can get a 6 month or 12 months supply.

**with Texas whacky weather we really do not have any safe months to not be on preventative here. Heartworms are ALWAYS a threat to our furry friends.

DONATE | FOSTER | ADOPT CLICK HERE - www.dallasdogrrr.org/donate PAYPAL/ZELLE: donate@dallasdogrrr.org DogRRR NEW VENMO: DDRescue2015 Who is Dallas Dog? Our rehabilitation efforts address the physical and emotional needs of rescued animals and prepare them for the second chance they deserve. You can make a difference by fostering, adopting, or making a donation toward these worthy animals. Thank you for supporting Dallas Dog. Our mission is to create a safer place for animals by rescuing and rehabilitating those who are neglected, unwanted and abused across Texas or displaced by natural disasters nearby and finding them a permanent home. You can visit our website at www.dallasdogrrr.org to follow our amazing journey.