Heartgard Plus Heartworm Preventive

Heartworm disease (dirofilariasis) is a contagious disease of many species of animals and is transmitted only by heartworm-infected mosquitoes.

Heartworm disease is widespread in the United States (and in California) and is continuing to spread to new locales. If a dog may go—or has gone—during mosquito season to an area where heartworm disease exists, that dog should be heartworm tested. If the test is negative, the dog should be put on the once-a-month heartworm preventative chewable.

Heartgard® Plus prevents heartworm disease, controls adult hookworm, and removes and controls adult roundworm and whipworm infections in dogs and puppies.

VIP PETCARE requires a heartworm test before starting on monthly preventative. There are three reasons for this requirement:

• If a dog already has heartworms, the preventative will not kill them, and the disease will progress.
• If a dog already has heartworms, the preventative will suppress "egg" (microfilaria) production by the heartworms. So, if a dog on preventative should be heartworm tested months or years later by a veterinarian using the "egg" (microfilaria) test, the dog may show no heartworms present when, indeed, there are.
• There are very rare reports of the monthly preventative causing life-threatening allergic reaction when given to a dog with adult heartworms already present.

Heartworm-infested dogs typically show no signs of illness whatsoever for months or years after acquiring heartworms. The worms live in the heart and large blood vessels in the chest. The worms cause damage which is irreversible—even with successful treatment—if an infestation exists for a long time. Prompt treatment of heartwom-infested dogs is essential, even those infested dogs who act completely normal.

Prescription Only

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