Prevention
Your veterinarian will first test your pet and find the heartworm status to be negative. You can then begin heartworm prevention. Annual re-testing is recommended. Prevention is in the form of a chewable daily or monthly tablet, given in the summer months or year round, depending on the climate where you live. The most commonly prescribed oral heartworm preventatives are: Heartgard®, Interceptor®, and Program®.
A topical treatment, Revolution™ (Selamectin), by Pfizer is effective against heartworms, fleas, ear mites, sarcoptic mange (dogs), hookworms (cats), roundworms (cats), and the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) (dogs). The American Dog Tick is the principal vector for a Rickettsial disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, in dogs and humans. Revolution™ is typically applied once a month for parasite control.
Revolution™ works by absorbing through the skin to the bloodstream, where it prevents heartworms and treats intestinal parasites. Revolution™ also disperses from the blood to the sebaceous glands (microscopic oil glands in the skin) to act as a reservoir of drug for protection against fleas, ticks, and mites.
Drug precautions. This drug should not be used in animals that are sick, malnourished, debilitated, or underweight. For more information about this drug, please see the package insert.
Heartgard® - Manufacturer: Merial
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Heartgard® Products for dogs and cats
Sentinel® - Manufacturer: Novartis
- Sentinel® (milbemycin oxime - lufenuron)
Like Interceptor, but with added flea control
Revolution™ - Manufacturer: Pfizer
- Revolution™ (Selamectin)
Information for dogs and cats.
Proheart®6 - Manufacturer: Fort Dodge Animal Health
- Proheart®6
September 2004 - this product was voluntarily recalled at the request of the Food and Drug Administration. Read news stories about this recall here.
Heartworm in Pets
- Heartworm Disease in Pets
Archive of heartworm articles and drug profiles for heartworm on this site
Feline Heartworm
- Heartworm Disease in Cats from Lianne McLeod DVM, About.com Contributing Writer
- Feline Heartworm Disease
From the American Heartworm Society.
Canine Heartworm
- Heartworm Disease in Dogs from Lianne McLeod DVM, About.com Contributing Writer
- Canine Heartworm Disease
From the American Heartworm Society.
Ferret Heartworm
- Heartworm Disease In The Ferret
By Deborah W. Kemmerer, DVM
(Warning - specimen photo not for the squeamish)
Text: Copyright © Janet Tobiassen Crosby. All rights reserved.
Part of a continuing series. See the vet question archive for more Q & A topics.
- Sentinel® (milbemycin oxime - lufenuron)
