Heartworm Prevention Methods
The most reliable way to protect your dog from heartworm disease is to administer a veterinarian-prescribed, FDA-approved heartworm preventative, at the recommended dose and interval, all year round. These medications, when administered at the recommended dosages, are safe for dogs of all breeds, including those with MDR1 mutations. FDA has approved about a dozen drugs for prevention (see chart). The drugs used in all of these products are designed to kill developing heartworm larvae, as well as any other parasites. Which parasites will be killed by the drug depends on its formulation. These products can be given either orally or…
The most reliable way to protect your dog from heartworm disease is to administer a veterinarian-prescribed, FDA-approved heartworm preventative, at the recommended dose and interval, all year round. These medications, when administered at the recommended dosages, are safe for dogs of all breeds, including those with MDR1 mutations. FDA has approved about a dozen drugs for prevention (see chart). The drugs used in all of these products are designed to kill developing heartworm larvae, as well as any other parasites. Which parasites will be killed by the drug depends on its formulation. These products can be given either orally or topically, or as subcutaneous injections by veterinarians at six-monthly or 12-monthly intervals. As long as they are administered as prescribed, you can protect your dog against heartworm infections. Use the drug that you can most reliably obtain and give to your dog according to schedule. Consider using whichever medication also treats infestations of parasites in your area or on your dog. If fleas are a concern for your dog then using a product to prevent heartworms that also kills the tapeworms transmitted by infected fleas is a great idea. Drugs that treat these infections are beneficial for dogs who were rescued from shelters or hoarding situations. Heartworm Life Cycle How Preventatives work Heartworms in adult dogs can be the most dangerous of all the round worms (nematodes) that affect dogs. They can cause severe illness and even death, if they are not treated. Mosquitoes spread heartworms. When a mosquito bites a dog infected with heartworms, it ingests tiny larvae (microfilariae), which circulate in the dog’s bloodstream. In the mosquito, the microfilariae will mature over the next two weeks to become an infective stage. The larvae are then injected into the dog by the mosquito when it bites another dog. The larvae mature in your dog, as they travel from the point of bite through the tissues to the heart and lungs. The whole process lasts about six months. At that point, these adult worms begin producing baby heartworms, called microfilariae, which circulate through your dog’s body, waiting for a mosquito to ingest the microfilariae so they can infect another animal. It goes around and round. The majority of infected dogs will have multiple worms that measure 10 to 12 inches long and can live inside the heart and pulmonary vessel for up to 7 years. Heartworm prevention works by killing the larval heartworms that are developing on your dog, before they mature. The preventatives do not stop your dog becoming infected, but they do kill the infection before it can become an adult. Preventatives are given at recommended intervals or with a timed-release product. The medications are ineffective on more mature larvae if the larvae mature beyond the sensitive and susceptible stage. If you forget to give your dog the preventative, you shouldn’t be surprised when it tests positive for a year even if everything is on track. Natural Heartworm Prevention Holistic veterinarians claim that dogs with vibrant health can withstand an infestation of heartworm larvae injected by mosquitoes infected with the disease. Holistic veterinarians may also argue that dogs who are fed a fresh or home-prepared commercial diet and have not been treated with pesticides, but only lightly vaccinated will have the strongest immune system and be able eliminate heartworm larvae. The vet may recommend herbal or homeopathic remedies for the dog to control the heartworm infection. It’s a good idea, but the claims are not backed up by any scientific evidence. They only come from anecdotal reports. Wild wolves and coyotes, who…
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