Veterinary Q & A: Heartworm Disease

Prevention
Your veterinarian must first test your pet and find the heartworm status to be negative. You can then begin heartworm prevention. 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 new 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

• 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.

Feline Heartworm

• "Feline Heartworm Disease"
  From the American Heartworm Society.
• Feline Heartworm Disease
  Includes diagrams for disease distribution in the United States, signs in the cat, and life cycle of the Heartworm.
• "Heartworm Disease in Cats - Information and FAQ"
  Brief overview from the AVMA
• Feline Heartworm Disease
  General overview.
• Feline Heartworm Disease
  A client handout type of article, from DeBary Animal Clinic.

Canine Heartworm

• "Canine Heartworm Disease"
  From the American Heartworm Society.
• "Heartworm Disease: A Deadly Threat To Your Dog"
  From the AVMA. A simplified graphic representation (drawings) of the heartworm life cycle.
• "An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure"
  General overview, treatment, and prevention of heartworms in dogs.

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 archive for more Q & A topics. for more Q & A topics.

• 1
• 2