Heartgard

Dog owners will be delighted to know that medication is now available for canines affected by heart worm disease thru Heartgard.

Heart worm infection is common on dogs and has affected dogs in neighboring 50 states in the US

Heart worm is a parasite disease transmitted through mosquitoes. Once infected, heart worms live in dogs for about five to seven years. Heart worm disease affects the heart and lungs of the dogs.

This disease is now successfully treated with prescribed medicines as there are approved medicines in the US for these infections.

Heartgard for dogs or Ivermectin was the first drug to be approved in the US to be used in the prevention of heart worm infection.

This drug is prescribed by a licensed veterinarian for use in dogs to prevent heart worm diseases. The drug eliminates the heart worm larvae on its tissue stage and prevents development into adult stage. Heartgard for dogs should be administered within thirty days after it is infected or has been exposed to mosquitoes.

Heartgard for dogs come in chewable form. Dosage will be recommended by the Veterinarian which is usually according to weight and age of the dog. It also comes in color coded packages according to weight prescription.

Trials have shown that Heartgards are acceptable to dogs in chewable forms and was consumed at once when offered to dogs.

Vets have recommended that in administering this drug to the dog, one should observe that the entire necessary dose is chewed, and if necessary, be spread in its food to assure that all bits are taken, and no part is wasted.

Before preventive treatment using Heartgard for dogs is done, the first measure to be initiated by dog owner is to have the dog examined first for possibility of the presence of adult heart worms in its body, because prevention with Heartgard will not be effective.

Presence of adult heart worms must be treated first and should be eliminated before the Heartgard program is initiated. After completion of adult worm treatment, it will take three to six weeks before Heartgard treatment is started.

Heartgard (Ivermectin) has been found to contain the most active ingredient in preventing heart worm disease.

For some dogs, a period of one year preventive treatment has been recommended An example is the recommendation for all Rotweillers in Michigan to undergo said heart worm preventive treatment.

While treatment of canine disease has been successful with the help of veterinary drug and medicines, it has been advised that prevention is a much better alternative aside from being a cheaper and safer measure. As it has always been said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Tags: Pet Health, Feline, Pet Meds, Cats, Pets