Heartgard

Being a potentially deadly condition that can instantly kill your pet, heartworm disease should be eradicated and controlled from occurring and affecting your pets. Transmitted through mosquito bites, this deadly disease can severely damage your pet’s vital organs particularly the heart and lungs and could extend its systemic effects to brain and kidneys.

Preventive therapy is highly encouraged with the use of heartworm medications. But in case heartworm disease is already transmitted to your pet, preventive heartworm medication is no longer effective. The treatment approach will be to administer treatment heartworm medication. There is a distinction between a preventive and treatment heartworm medications.

The preventive heartworm medication may be in the form of chewable tablets of varied tasty flavors and topical liquids that a veterinarian will prescribe but can be administered by the pet owner at home. The treatment heartworm medications usually are in the form of muscular injections applied by a vet in a clinic followed by adjunct tablets at homes.

The treatment of heartworm in dogs varies with the severity of the condition. Simple approach is used when a heartworm positive dogs does not manifest any symptoms compared to dogs suffering with very ill conditions. Surgery may be the option in severe cases of heavy infections such as those causing extensive liver damage.

Surgery is potentially a risky and dangerous procedure with higher morbidity compared with treatment heartworm medication. Only a single drug is currently registered which can kill the adult heartworms found in dogs. Treatment heartworm medication uses the drug Immiticide to kill adult heartworms of over 4 months of age and is not an effective drug in killing immature worms.

The treatment regimen using this heartworm medication is divided into two. The first regimen is intended for dogs with mild symptoms of the disease and the second for dogs with severe symptom manifestations. Standard regime is giving the heartworm medication via injection to the lumbar muscles. It can kill the adult heartworms only.

A fast acting regimen that quickly kills the adult worm consists of two injections of the heartworm medication along the lumbar muscles by 24 hours interval. An alternate regimen is one injection to the lumbar muscle and after a month, 2 more injections are applied with a 24 hours interval. This will slowly kill the adult worms.

Inflammatory reaction can occur after the treatment heartworm medication regimen and vets usually incorporate anti-inflammatory and/or anti-clotting agent along with the heartworm medication.

Tags: Pet, Cats, Heartworms, Pet Medicine, K9

• » Comments (0)

 Have you heard of heartworms and how they are transmitted and repelled? Vets have presented reports on how heartworms are transmitted, how to repel its sources and how to prevent your pets from infestations.

According to reports, mosquitoes are found to be the carriers of heartworms to animals. But with the introduction of Hartz, a non prescription insecticide in the market, mosquitoes can now be prevented from spreading this infectious parasite.

Hartz, is a 3 in 1 flea and tick drops which could be given to dogs and puppies. Hartz is said to kill and repel mosquitoes which could be possible carriers of heartworms. Hartz has been formulated for dogs weighing 31 to 60 lbs, and is reported to have a powerful effect that kills mosquitoes surrounding the dog.

Since mosquitoes are the prime transmitters of this infection, pet owners must first destroy breeding places of mosquitoes through home remedies and Hartz insecticides available in the supermarkets and groceries that can help pet owners with their mosquito problems.

Dogs and cats are not the only animals infested by heartworms. Heartworms are parasites that live in the hearts of ferrets, foxes, wolves, sea lions and horses, but it is common to dogs.
Heartworm looks like a long spaghetti that has a length measuring from 6 to 10 inches.

Vets disclosed that heartworms are transmitted to animals this way. First, a mosquito bites a dog (or any animal) infected by heartworm. That mosquito now is a carrier of the larvae of heartworm. When the carrier mosquito bites a dog or a cat, that animal is now infected with heartworm.

The eggs or larvae of the heartworm stay in the tissues of the heart of the infected animal where it will reproduce within 70 to 90 days and live in the animal for several years. The infected animal becomes a host animal and there would be a continuous cycle when there are mosquitoes to transmit it to other animals.

There are reports showing infections of heartworm diseases on animals on several states in the US and other countries because of mosquitoes. And one could imagine the breed of mosquitoes everywhere.

Pet owners must observe their cats and dogs for symptoms of heartworms. Sometimes, it is not easily detected as heartworms are not manifested in the appearance of animals. Some signs for dogs are coughing, shortness of breath, fainting, lost of weight, fever, and swelling of abdomen, which causes death.

Cats also show signs of coughing, shortness of breath and vomiting. Heartworms can also bring sudden death to cats.
 
There is no need to visit the Vets clinic often for heartworms, when the dog’s environment is mosquito free. With the help of Hartz, and proper cleaning of breeding places for mosquitoes, dogs and cats could be safe, and could be enjoyed by the pet owners for a longer time.

Tags: Heartworms, Dogs, Pet Health, Dog Meds, Heart Worms

• » Comments (0)

Our pet dogs provide us unquestionable loyalty and heart-warming affection. Sadly, their good health is threatened by heartworms. Heartworms are parasitical worms that enter the dogs’ bloodstream through a mosquito bite. Its infestation tends to go unnoticed on the first stages, however, at the final stage, the parasites infest the canine’s heart, causing in heart failure. Such devastating effects of the heartworm parasite give rise to the need of the interceptor heartworm preventative.

The interceptor heartworm preventative, a drug approved by the FDA and produced by Novartis, is known to control the growth of the heartworms and whipworms. Basically, the medicine eliminates the larvae stage of the heartworms to prevent them from further growth. When it comes to roundworms and whipworms, the medicine can eliminate both the adults and the young.

The interceptor heartworm preventative is available upon the prescription of your dog’s veterinarian. It is vital that an expert be consulted, as tests should be performed whether or not the dog is allergic to the product. Note that failure of such consultation can produce harmful effects for your dog. Usually, the pill is prescribed for dogs that are four weeks and older.

If the dog tests negative for allergy, and is in need of the interceptor heartworm pill, the canine usually becomes receptive to the medicine after it is taken, as the taste of the tablet is quite palatable. Hence, it can be directly induced or mixed with the dog’s meal as it should be taken orally. It is never a problem to include the medication in the dog’s diet.

The interceptor heartworm pill can be administered to the dog all year round or during the mosquito season, such as summer. The dog should take the medicine within one month of its exposure to mosquitoes. The amount of dosage of the medicine is directly proportional to the weight of the dog.

However, side effects might occur, such as drowsiness and vomiting. Note that vomiting is probably due to the release of dead microfilaria, an indication that the interceptor heartworm pill is taking effect.

In order to prevent further infestation, also remember to observe your personal hygiene, and the living environment of the dog. Remember that prevention of further sickness is entirely dependent on a healthy and clean surrounding.

Dogs are indeed often infested by parasites. Such parasites tend to be inevitable, because canines are seemingly active and curious given any kind of environment. Because of this, many preventative and treatment medicines against parasites are provided by the medical industry, and fortunately, such good medicine happens to be the interceptor heartworm preventative medicine.

Tags: Heartgard, Cat, Pet Health, Feline, Heartworms

• » Comments (0)

Heartworm is one of the major causes of diseases to our pets. Our household companions, the dogs and the cats are most likely to be infected by heartworm. Unlike other worms, which may be transmitted though dirty food or surroundings, the cause of heartworm is transmitted through mosquitoes.

Heartworm is caused by Dirofilaria immitis, which is transmitted by mosquitoes to our dogs and cats. To remove this organism from our pets, Heartgard Plus is administered right after the dog was bitten by a mosquito. This should be done right after the dog was bitten since the Heartgard Plus, whose generic name is Ivermectin and Pyrantel Pamoate, is effective only against the larval form of this organism. If the organism is already in the adult stage, you will need to give your pet a different medication.

What sets Heartgard Plus apart from other deworming agents for dogs and cats is that it is effective against a wide variety of worm infections. It is not only used to combat heartworms but also hookworms in cats and hookworms.

This is because Heartgard Plus has both Ivermectin and Pyrantel Pamoate. The Ivermectin in Heartgard Plus is effective against the larva form of Dirofilaria immitis, which causes heartworm. Pyrantel Pamoate in Heartgard Plus, on the other hand, is effective against several types of worms. If you can check most of deworming agents for humans, you will notice that many of those are also composed of Pyrantel Pamoate.

When administering Heartgard Plus, to ensure that it will have its optimum efficiency, the dog has to take the whole tablet. Watch your dog very carefully when giving Heartgard Plus. Sometimes, your dog will be a bit sly and just pretend to finish the medication.

The makers of Heartgard Plus understand this problem that they have also created Heartgard Plus in a chewable tablet form. This way, your dog will more readily eat the tablet since it is chewable and has an enticing odor and flavor.

After giving Heartgard Plus within the first month of heartworm infection, your dog has to continue its dosage regimen for one year to ensure complete eradication of the heartworm causing larvae.

If it was determined that adult forms of the larvae have also infected the dog, the adult forms should be eliminated first before Heartgard Plus can be administered to kill the heartworm larvae.

For more information about Heartgard Plus, you can always contact your veterinarian and review the product literature.

Tags: Feline, Pet, Cat Meds, Heart Worms, Cats

• » Comments (0)

Dogs and cats are often infested with different kinds of parasites. One of them is heartworms. Its scientific name is Dirofilaria immitis. These worms are parasitic worms transmitted to a host through mosquito bites. Maturity of heartworms takes several months after infestation.

Heartworms, a kind of filaria, looks like a spaghetti noodle. This worm does not only infect animals such as dogs, cats, foxes and sea lions but also human beings. The heartworm got its name because at the last stage of its life cycle, it travels and lodges itself in the heart of its host. The presence of heartworms in the heart may cause congestive heart failure.

One medication used to treat and prevent heartworms is Revolution. It is a topical parasiticide manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health.

Pfizer is considered the biggest research-based pharmaceutical company in the world. Based in New York, USA, the company is known for many of its pharmaceutical products including oral antifungal medication Difulcan and Zithromax, a long-acting antibiotic.

Selamectin is the generic name of Revolution. Selamectin may also be used to control fleas and other kinds of worms including hookworms and roundworms.
A parasite exposed to selamectin gets paralyzed and dies in the long run because selamectin interferes with the nerve transmission of the parasite. A prescription from a licensed veterinarian is needed in order to purchase selamectin.

Revolution is lathered on the backside of the neck of cats and dogs. Massaging the
parasiticide is not needed in order to be effective. The amount of Revolution applied is based on the weight of the animal. The medication may be applied a month before the heartworm transmission seasons for better prevention.

Some of the side effects experienced by animals given the topical parasiticide are loss of appetite, drooling, vomiting, rapid breathing, increased heart rate and muscle tremors.
 
Revolution should not be given to animals allergic to it. It is also advised not to apply Revolution on puppies below six weeks of age and kitten under eight weeks because selamectin may still get to the brain due to undeveloped blood-brain barrier. Before administering the medication, dogs should be tested first for the presence of heartworms.

In cases of overdose, animals should be brought to a licensed veterinarian or to an emergency medical facility.

Revolution should be stored at room temperature and should be kept away from reach of children and animals. Outdated medication should not be used but thrown away.

Tags: Pet, Pet Medicine, Heart Worms, Dog Meds, Dogs

• » Comments (0)

Heartworm disease is potentially a serious condition that could lead to grave death among pet animals particularly in dogs and cats. The parasite is carried by mosquito which injects it to healthy cats and dogs through their bites. The heartworm usually grows in heart, lungs and blood vessels of these pet animals until they grow into adult parasites that can significantly cause marked damage to the body system of dogs and cats thereby causing death once left untreated. Heartworm disease treatment can be expensive and difficult but the condition is highly preventable.

Preventive measure from heartworm disease is the administration of heartworm medicines to prevent parasitic growth of heartworm among pet animals. Heartworm medicines usually need a veterinarian’s prescription.

The Heartgard (Ivermectin) heartworm medicine is prescribed for both cats and dogs. The Heartgard for cats comes in chewable formulation and is effective against hookworm too. When the active ingredient Ivermectin is combined with pyrantel pamoate which is available as Heartgard Plus, it is also an effective preventive medicine against intestinal parasites such as hookworm and roundworm in dogs. The Heartgard heartworm medicine is usually given once a month all year round. Chewable forms need to be chewed and not swallowed whole. This heartworm medicine should be given with caution in Collies. Pet animals must be subjected to heartworm testing prior to the beginning of preventive therapy. Heartgard can be given when the pup and kitten is about 6 weeks old onwards.

Another heartworm medicine prescribed for both cats and dogs is the Interceptor. The active ingredient Milbemycin is effective against heartworm, hookworm, roundworms and whipworms. Given to cats and dogs from 6 weeks old, it is also safe for nursing or pregnant dogs.

The Revolution heartworm medicine is also an effective preventive topical medicine for both cats and dogs. With its active ingredient Selamectin, it is used for preventive treatment against heartworm and can treat ringworm and hookworm as well as kills fleas and ticks. It can control the infestations of ear mites and Sarcoptic Mange.

The Sentinel heartworm medicine is solely prescribed for dogs. It is used to control adult hookworm infection as well as for heartworm disease prevention. It is also effective against roundworms and whipworm infections. The active ingredient Milbemycin is combined with another ingredient Lufenuron which controls the development of flea eggs. This medicine however cannot kill adult fleas.

With all these available preventive heartworm medicine, your pet animals will surely be protected against the health danger of heartworm. Preventive measure must be taken immediately before risking your pet’s health with this deadly disease.

Tags: Pet Health, Heartworms, Dog Meds, Heart Worms, Dogs

• » Comments (0)

Heartworm is an infection common to dogs and other mammals. Heartworm is caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis. The heartworm parasite is transmitted from one hose to another through mosquito bites. When a mosquito bites a dog infected with heartworm, it extracts the heartworm larvae that are in the blood of the host. When the mosquito bites into its next victim, the heartworm larvae are transferred.

This parasite is known as heartworm because the adult worms invade the victim’s heart and can cause congestive heart failure, which could lead to death. This is very serious that heartworm treatment must be started immediately to prevent severe damage to the dog’s vital organs.

The first step in heartworm treatment is the identification of the parasite. Heartworm diagnosis is done by extracting a blood sample from the dog and analyzing this for presence of antibodies to heartworm. Antibodies are substances in the body’s defense system that fights the antigens of the invading organisms. There are also tests done to detect heartworm antigens. If heartworm is present, it is necessary to identify the heartworm form present before proceeding to heartworm treatment.

Identification of the stage of growth of the heartworm is important since different forms of the parasite have different heartworm treatments. If adult worms are detected, the next step in the heartworm treatment is to eliminate them. The adult heartworms may be killed by the use of an arsenic-based compound. The more commonly used drug for adult heartworms is melarsomine dihydrochloride, known as the brand Immiticide. This is more effective and safer than older adult heartworm treatments.

Heartworm treatment may also include surgical removal of the heartworms, especially if the worms have already infected the right atrium of the heart.

Once the adult forms are eradicated, the next step in heartworm treatment is to eradicate the larval forms, which will grow into adults. This heartworm treatment is done though the administration of the drug Ivermectin. Ivermectin for dogs is known by the brand name Heartgard.

This heartworm treatment should continue for twelve months with the drug being administered every thirty days. To ensure maximum effectiveness of the heartworm treatment, you have to make sure that the dog gets the required doses and that the doses are administered on time.

Another thing to remember when, and even before, your dog undergoes heartworm treatment, make sure that your dog is healthy. The heartworm treatment may increase the stress to the dog’s vital organs. After the heartworm treatment, allow the dog to rest to help its body in eliminating the heartworms.

Tags: Pet Health, Cat, K9, Heartgard, Dog

• » Comments (0)

There are a number of heartworm prevention and treatment pills in the market today that dog owners can choose from. Aside from having different flavours and shapes, heartworm pills have a variety of potencies that address specific parasite problems of dogs. Outlining their characteristics and composition can help dog owners determine which heartworm pill is suited for their pet’s particular needs.

Most heartworms can be lethal if they are not addressed immediately and appropriately. Without a heartworm pill to protect and cure infections, a pet could develop a deadly heartworm disease that could be more expensive to treat in the long run. Luckily, all heartworm diseases can be prevented through timely medication.

Currently, there are four brands of heartworm pills commonly prescribed by veterinarians. These are the Interceptor, Sentinel, Heartgard Plus, and Iverhart Plus. Because they are especially flavoured and come in different sizes, all these Heartworm pills can be orally introduced to your pet dog without much hassle. The Sentinel and Interceptor both contain the Milbemycin Oxime, an active ingredient that prevents heartworms. Both also address other infections that may be caused by roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Products like Sentinel have a special additive called Lufenuron, which helps contain fleas as well.

Heartgard and sister heartworm pill products Iverhart and Tri-heart, on the other hand, similarly prevent heartworms but use extra active substances such as Ivermectin and Pyrantel that also kill roundworms and hookworms. Heartgard products, in fact, boast of being able to combat more types of hookworms than the other brands, although they cannot control whipworms as Interceptor and Sentinel can. Nevertheless, Heartgard remains the least expensive of all the current products. It has also been a popular heartworm pill prescribed by veterinarians because of its versatility — providing pet owners with a variety of flavours to choose from – and a more comprehensive approach to parasite control.

All of the mentioned heartworm pill medications are effective in their own right. But to determine which product would best suit your pet’s needs, you must first identify your pet’s particular parasite problem. In combating heartworms and roundworms, Interceptor and Heartgard plus have claimed to be equally effective. For problems specifically involving hookworms, Heartgard plus is the preferred pill. If the parasite problem involves whipworms on the other hand, the Interceptor is apparently the most suited for the job.

Before making your choice, however, it’s always best to consult your veterinarian for expert advice. Only after several tests for heartworm infection have been conducted on your pet can the appropriate brand be determined. This is very important as some dogs may respond differently to various heartworm pills. Some dogs have allergic reactions to specific flavour tabs, so it’s best to apprise your veterinarian about your pet’s medical history. Also, some heartworm pills require a prescription, so don’t automatically introduce a heartworm regimen to your dog without the doctor’s approval. Having information about a specific heartworm pill helps in making informed choices that in the end could save your pet’s life.

Tags: Pet, Dogs, Heartgard, Cats, Cat

• » Comments (0)

Most medications are obtained from a pharmacy with a prescription from a doctor, dentist and other medical personnel authorized to fill out prescriptions. This is also the case when purchasing medications for your pets.

Pet medications, just like medicines for human beings are classified into two. Medicines identified as prescription drugs may only be bought upon presenting a prescription form a veterinarian. In most cases, veterinarians also have these for sale at their clinics. This is more convenient so that after diagnosing the disease, the dog owner can just buy the medication from the vet.

Even if the vet sells medications, you still have the option to buy the medicines from a different supplier. However, you need to ask your dog’s veterinarian to sign a prescription so that you can buy these medicines.

Another type of medication is the no prescription or over the counter medicines. Even if your dog’s veterinarian did not sign a prescription, you may still purchase the medication from a pharmacy.

In most cases, prescriptions are required to buy medications for your dogs. This is the reason that you might find it quite difficult to get a no prescription Heartgard.

Heartgard is used to combat the larvae of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs and cats. This organism is transmitted to pets through mosquito bites. No prescription Heartgard is difficult to get because it should be used with care. Otherwise, the dog may experience side effects or the drug may not effectively kills the infecting microorganism.

No prescription Heartgard is also not widely available since before using this, you have to make sure that your dog is really infected by Dirofilaria immitis. This is done by having a veterinarian extract a small amount of your dog’s blood. Your dog’s blood is then analyzed for signs of these larvae.

No prescription Heartgard will not be effective against the microorganism if it is already in its adult stage. Other medications may be needed to kills the adult stage of the organism before Heartgard can be used.

To determine if the Dirofilaria immitis is in the larval or adult stage also requires brining your dog to a veterinarian. If the veterinarian has determined the need for Heartgard, he will inform you that you may get them from his clinic or he may also issue you a prescription to get it from somewhere else.

If it is really verified that your dog has the larval form of heartworm, there is no reason for you to get a no prescription Heartgard. Your dog’s vet can readily help you on this.

Tags: Heart Worms, Heartworms, Heartworm, Cat, Cats

• » Comments (0)