Where To Buy Heartworm Prevention For Dogs __FULL__
Heartworm Disease can be a serious illness for dogs if left untreated. If you suspect your dog may have heartworm disease, make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. After a visit to the vet has revealed that your dog has, in fact, contracted heartworm disease, your vet may write a prescription for heartworm medications for dogs. The Pharmacy at PetSmart is your go-to for filling prescriptions and carrying out veterinarian treatment plans.
where to buy heartworm prevention for dogs
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It's recommended that you keep your pet on year-round heartworm prevention treatment. Many heartworm preventative medications include preventatives for other worms your dog may contract as well, so year-round treatment is highly recommended.
In the United States, heartworm disease is most common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from the Gulf of Mexico to New Jersey and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries, but it has been reported in dogs in all 50 states.
Ferrets can also get heartworms from the bite of an infected mosquito. Ferrets are similar to dogs in their susceptibility to heartworm infections, but their symptoms are more similar to those seen in cats.
Why is a prescription necessary to buy Heartgard? When a drug is felt to be unsafe without proper medical/veterinary follow-up or monitoring, the medication is placed on prescription-only status by the FDA. There are a variety of different reasons for this; in the case of heartworm preventatives, there is potential danger if these medications are given to dogs that are heartworm positive. Veterinarians will usually require a heartworm test prior to writing a prescription for heartworm preventative medication.
What is the purpose of the heartworm test? You can't tell from looking at a dog whether he or she has heartworms. Even dogs on regular heartworm prevention can get heartworm disease if the dog misses a dose or, unbeknownst to you, vomits or spits out their regular dose leaving the dog unprotected. Therefore, you will need to schedule a blood test with your veterinarian who can conduct a blood test to make sure that your pet does not currently have heartworms. The American Heartworm Society recommends annual heartworm testing. It's important to never give Heartgard to any pet that has not been tested for heartworm disease. Heartworm preventative medication such as Heartgard cannot kill adult heartworms, but instead kills the baby heartworms known as microfilariae. A dog that already has a heartworm infection may experience a severe reaction as the medication kills off the heavy load of microfilariae circulating in the dog's bloodstream, which may result in serious heart failure or even death.
What is the difference between Heartgard and Heartgard Plus for dogs? Heartgard is a beef flavored soft-chew given once a month to prevent heartworm disease; the active ingredient in Heartgard is Ivermectin. Heartgard Plus has the additional ingredient Pyrantel which treats and controls roundworms and hookworms.
Where can I buy Heartgard Plus for dogs? Although Heartgard and other heartworm medicines require a prescription, at PetMeds, we make the ordering process easy. Our pharmacy department will verify your pet's prescription for you by calling or faxing your veterinarian. Then, we'll deliver your pet's medication right to your door! Plus, all of our products have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, which means you can always count on every product to be of the same exact quality as your veterinarian's office. And our product guarantee on Heartgard even surpasses that of the manufacturer (Merial)! If your dog is taking Heartgard but still manages to contract heartworms, the process of getting reimbursed for heartworm treatment from the manufacturer can be lengthy and time consuming. But at PetMeds we don't require all the paperwork. When you buy your dog's Heartgard medicine through us, all you need to send us is your vet's bill and we'll send you a check for the cost of heartworm treatment.* It's as simple as that!
Ferrets. Heartworm disease in ferrets is caused by the same parasite that causes heartworm infection in dogs and cats. The disease in ferrets is an odd mix of the disease that we see in dogs and cats. Like dogs, ferrets are extremely susceptible to infection and can have larger numbers of worms than cats, but like cats, a low number of worms, perhaps just one, can cause devastating disease due to the small size of the heart. Heartworm disease is often more difficult to diagnose in ferrets and there is no approved treatment. Prevention is imperative for both indoor and outdoor ferrets.
In the early stages of the disease, many dogs show few symptoms or no symptoms at all. The longer the infection persists, the more likely symptoms will develop. Active dogs, dogs heavily infected with heartworms, or those with other health problems often show pronounced clinical signs.
Signs of heartworm disease may include a mild persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue after moderate activity, decreased appetite, and weight loss. As heartworm disease progresses, pets may develop heart failure and the appearance of a swollen belly due to excess fluid in the abdomen. Dogs with large numbers of heartworms can develop a sudden blockages of blood flow within the heart leading to a life-threatening form of cardiovascular collapse. This is called caval syndrome, and is marked by a sudden onset of labored breathing, pale gums, and dark bloody or coffee-colored urine. Without prompt surgical removal of the heartworm blockage, few dogs survive.
Dogs. All dogs should be tested annually for heartworm infection, and this can usually be done during a routine visit for preventive care. Following are guidelines on testing and timing:
No one wants to hear that their dog has heartworm, but the good news is that most infected dogs can be successfully treated. The goal is to first stabilize your dog if he is showing signs of disease, then kill all adult and immature worms while keeping the side effects of treatment to a minimum.
Yes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling on heartworm preventives states that the medication is to be used by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. This means heartworm preventives must be purchased from your veterinarian or with a prescription through a pet pharmacy Prior to prescribing a heartworm preventive, the veterinarian typically performs a heartworm test to make sure your pet doesn't already have adult heartworms, as giving preventives can lead to rare but possibly severe reactions that could be harmful or even fatal. It is not necessary to test very young puppies or kittens prior to starting preventives since it takes approximately 6 months for heartworms to develop to adulthood. If the heartworm testing is negative, prevention medication is prescribed.
Whether the preventive you choose is given as a pill, a spot-on topical medication or as an injection, all approved heartworm medications work by eliminating the immature (larval) stages of the heartworm parasite. This includes the infective heartworm larvae deposited by the mosquito as well as the following larval stage that develops inside the animal. Unfortunately, in as little as 51 days, heartworm larvae can molt into a juvenile/immature adult stage, which cannot be effectively eliminated by preventives. Because heartworms must be eliminated before they reach this adult stage, it is extremely important that heartworm preventives be administered strictly on schedule (monthly for oral and topical products and every 6 months or 12 months for the injectable). Administering prevention late can allow immature larvae to molt into the adult stage, which is poorly prevented.
For a variety of reasons, even in regions of the country where winters are cold, the American Heartworm Society is now recommending a year-round prevention program. Dogs have been diagnosed with heartworms in almost every county in Minnesota, and there are differences in the duration of the mosquito season from the north of the state and the south of the state. Mosquito species are constantly changing and adapting to cold climates and some species successfully overwinter indoors as well. Year-round prevention is the safest, and is recommended. Remember too that many of these products are de-worming your pet for intestinal parasites that can pose serious health risks for humans.
The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention, even in states like Arizona. And remember, if your dog or cat travels out of state with you or to another part of Arizona where mosquitoes are common, they may be at higher risk of exposure.
No. At this time, there is not a commercially available vaccine for the prevention of heartworm disease in dogs or cats. However, research scientists are looking at this possibility. Right now, heartworm disease can only be prevented through the regular and appropriate use of preventive medications, which are prescribed by your veterinarian. These medications are available as a once-a-month chewable, a once-a-month topical, and either a once or twice-a-year injection. You should determine the best option for your pet by talking with your veterinarian. Many of the medications have the added benefit of preventing other parasites as well.
Yes, it is recommended in the American Heartworm Society's Guidelines to do so. This should be done under the direct supervision of a veterinarian because dogs with microfilaria (baby worms in the blood that the mosquito picks up when feeding) could possibly have a reaction to the preventive. And while this is an extra-label use of heartworm preventives, it is appropriate under the supervision of a veterinarian. However, it is important that your veterinarian assesses the severity of the disease and chooses the proper preventive accordingly. By starting the prevention program you are ensuring that your dog will not get a new heartworm infection while being treated for the existing heartworm disease. Furthermore, you are helping to keep your dog from being a source of heartworm larvae (microfilaria) for mosquitoes to pick up and eventually infect other dogs. This approach makes the treatment of the existing infection more effective. 041b061a72