Heartworm Prevention

Everyone with a dog knows that they are supposed to give their pet a monthly heartworm preventative chewable. And nearly everyone likely has neglected giving their dog that monthly chewable at some point (no judgement... we forget sometimes too!). It's not easy remembering to give that monthly dose, but it is important, and take it from us, we've seen the heartbreak that can come from heartworm disease. It is important to give that dose every month.

“Heartworm comes from an infected mosquito biting a dog and transmitting that infection to it,” said Kristin Tvrdik, DVM, HHS. “The infection then enters their bloodstream, transmitting larva that develop into worms, and those worms grow around the dog’s heart."

If a dog does become infected, most cases are treatable, although at a substantial cost. “On the open market, it can cost several thousands of dollars to treat an infected dog,” said Tvrdik. 

It is typically a ten-month process to cure with a series of medications, followed by injections that each need to be followed by 2 weeks of cage rest for the dog. Eventually they finish treatment (still getting their monthly preventative throughout) and are slowly able to increase activity and be cleared completely. 

"Despite the difficult treatment protocols required to cure these dogs, we would never turn away an animal because of it,” said Tvrdik. “Happily we can treat heartworm positive cases in our clinic more affordably, and we cover the cost for our adopters."

To keep your dog from getting heartworm disease, be sure to administer the preventative year round because it is always working to treat the possibility of the previous month’s infection. An added side note of good news: if you are considering adding a second dog to your home and that dog is heartworm positive, thankfully, it is not transmittable between dogs who are on heartworm preventatives. 

WIth monthly care, you can look forward to a whole lot of loving years ahead with your dog, thanks to a little heartworm preventative chewable that makes all the difference.