Find out what’s true!

 

Heartworm, a type of worm that can live in a dog’s heart, blood vessels, and lungs, might not seem like a big threat to your pet. But it happens to about 1 in 100 dogs in the U.S. every year, so it’s not very rare.

 

 

Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, so warm, humid places are perfect breeding grounds for the disease, but it has been found in all 50 U.S. states. If an infected mosquito with heartworm larvae bites your dog, just one bite is all it takes for the larvae to move into your dog, move to the heart and lungs, grow into adult heartworms, and start making more of themselves.

 

There are both oral and topical formulas for heartworm prevention that are absorbed into the bloodstream. You and your vet can decide which method is best for you and your pet.

 

As pet owner protect your pooch from this parasite

 

Heartworm disease is serious! It’s not as easy as you might think to treat a heartworm infection, especially a bad one. Which is why it’s so important to keep your dog from getting it.

 

When heartworm infection is very bad, emergency surgery may be needed: In order to save your dog’s life, a vet may have to put it to sleep and try to pull worms out of its blood vessels. That’s expensive, very invasive, and could put your pet’s life in danger.

 

There are a lot of medicines that will effectively keep your dog from getting the disease.

 

We talked to Dr. Cristina Bustamante, who is an associate veterinarian at the Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Florida and the founder of Dr. B. Vet. She told us how to find the best heartworm medicine for dogs.

 

Should a dog take heartworm medication?

 

Every dog needs medicine to treat heartworms. It is possible to treat this deadly disease, but it takes a long time, costs a lot of money, and requires a few painful rounds of injections. The good news is that heartworm disease is easy to avoid with the help of medicine.

 

“Heartworm prevention kills the parasite in the larval stage, which is the equivalent of a heartworm ‘baby’ stage,” Dr. Bustamante told The Dodo.

 

But you must always remember to give your dog his medicine on time if you want to keep him safe.

 

“It is important that your pet receives the prevention in the frequency instructed by your veterinarian since if you do not do so, the heartworm can grow to the ‘adult’ stage, and then the prevention will not be effective,” Dr. Bustamante said.

 

Can heartworm medicine cause problems for dogs?

 

As with any medicine, there’s a chance that your dog’s heartworm medicine will make him sick. Dr. Bustamante says that negative side effects can include:

 

• Allergic reactions
• Upset stomach
• Changes in appetite or energy levels
• Seizures

 

“Usually adverse reactions occur within the first 24 hours,” Dr. Bustamante said. “Depending on the reaction, your veterinarian can recommend changing the way of administration.”

 

Finding the right heartworm medication for your dog

 

The best heartworm medicine for your dog will depend on its health, how it lives, and how old it is.

 

“Dogs with very sensitive stomachs might benefit from topical or injected prevention compared to oral medication,” Dr. Bustamante said. “Dogs who are very active and live in areas where there are many fleas and ticks will benefit from a product that also protects them against fleas or ticks. Dogs with forgetful owners will benefit from injections every 6 to 12 months.”

 

The type of medicine you should use can also depend on the breed. Ivermectin, which is one type of active ingredient that keeps heartworms away, can cause problems in Collies. So, if you have a collie, you should choose a medicine that doesn’t have ivermectin in it.

 

There are many oral and topical treatments you can buy yourself (with a prescription from your vet). But if you choose the preventative shots, you’ll have to take your dog to the vet.

 

Effective treatment for canine heartworm

 

We put together a list of some of the best heartworm medicines for dogs based on what experts say and what pet owners say.

 

Best overall: Sentinel Spectrum

 

With milbemycin oxime, lufenuron, and praziquantel, the three active ingredients in this heartworm medicine, it really does it all. Not only do these chews protect against heartworm disease, but they also protect against a number of parasites that live in the intestines. It helps with whipworms, roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. On top of all that, it keeps fleas from getting out of hand by stopping eggs from hatching.

Best value: Tri-Heart Plus

 

The ivermectin and pyrantel in this heartworm medicine prevent heartworm disease and get rid of roundworm and hookworm infestations. This oral preventative is great for pet owners on a budget because it is much cheaper than other options on the market, but it still works.

Best dewormer combo: Interceptor Plus

 

Milbemycin oxime and praziquantel are used in this medicine to prevent heartworm and treat a lot of intestinal parasites at the same time. It kills roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Since it doesn’t kill fleas, it’s a good choice if you already give your puppy flea medicine.

Best topical medicine: Revolution

 

If your dog has a sensitive stomach or is just very picky about what he eats, you might want to try a topical solution. This medicine stops heartworms by using selamectin. But it’s also made to keep fleas, ear mites, roundworms, and hookworms away from your dog.

 

Best flea and tick combo: Simparica Trio

 

The active ingredients in this medicine, sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel, work together to not only prevent heartworm but also kill fleas and ticks. It kills five different kinds of ticks and gets rid of fleas before they can lay eggs. It also gets rid of roundworms and hookworms (but not whipworm or tapeworm).