| Chewable Heartworm Preventatives Indian Hills Animal Clinic 200 McFarland Circle N Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 ph. (205) 345-1231 fax (205) 345-1219 email KennelMaster@t-townvet.com |
| Protection against flea and tick infestations is of obvious necessity here in Alabama. One need only spend a few hours in the woods or tall grass to discover the parasitic hazards all around us. The danger posed by heartworms and intestinal parasites, however, is less obvious. Heartworms are transferred by mosquito bites. Tiny heartworm larvae, known as microfilaria, travel through an infected pet's bloodstream, coming to rest in the heart. Left untreated, an infested dog or cat will die of heart failure. The primary symptom of heartworm infestation is coughing. By drawing blood from your dog or cat, we can test for the presence of microfilaria and determine if your pet has heartworms. Treatment is somewhat expensive and dangerous. Dead heartworms dislodge from the cardiac muscle and migrate to the lungs. An excessive load of such parasites can stress a dog or cat to the point of death. Therefore, pets being treated for heartworms are often kept confined for a period of weeks in order to limit the numbers of killed parasites in circulation. In order to prolong your pet's life and avoid the trauma of treating a heartworm problem, the use of heartworm preventatives is strongly recommended. The two products listed below will keep your pet free of heartworms as well as various types of intestinal worms, which proliferate in the Southeastern United States: |
| Heartgard |
| Interceptor |
| Heartgard chewables are available for both dogs and cats. Cats can get heartworms, although with less frequency and severity than dogs. A product of Merial, the active ingredient in Heartgard is ivermectin. The tablets themselves look like hunks of marbled meat. Any pet which is accustomed to eating treats will go for Heartgard. Beyond preventing heartworm infestations, this product also keeps your feline pet free of hookworms and canine free of roundworms and hooks. Heartgard is not an effective guard against whipworms, however, and whips are a threat in Alabama. Heartgard comes in a box of six. It can be used safely in conjunction with other preventatives such as Frontline, ProHeart Six, and Advantage. |
| Interceptor, from Novartis, is a small flavor tab available for cats and dogs as a heartworm, hook-, round-, and whipworm preventative. Interceptor tablets are small enough to hide in treats, should you pet reject the taste, or to be forced down as many other types of animal medications must be. Interceptor comes in a box of six. Interceptor can be used safely in conjunction with other preventative products, such as ProHeart Six, Frontline, and Advantage. |
| Note: Many drug manufacturers send veterinarians free sample dosages of their preventative products. These samples are sized for puppies and kittens only, so if you have a new pet then bring them to Indian Hills and ask about free trial samples of Heartgard, Interceptor, Sentinel, and Advantage. |