Combining Flea Control with Heartworm Medicine

Nearly all pet owners use some form of regular flea control. Most dog owners also treat their pets with a preventative heartworm medicine too. So, why not combine the two and buy only one form of internal and external parasite control? With more and more of us, heeding the advice of the American Heartworm Society and offering our pets year round protection from the disease, sales of heartworm medicine are on the rise. But, buying multiple types of dog meds and then remembering when to use them all, can make life a little tiresome for both you and your pet. Thankfully there are now a number of choices if you would like to combine flea prevention with heartworm medicine. Both oral heartworm pills and topical spot on treatments are available which include reliable flea prevention. All products labelled as heartworm preventatives are equally good at destroying heartworm larvae, and so if used correctly will prevent your dog contracting the disease. The addition of flea killing abilities, in no way diminishes the effectiveness of heartworm medicine. Oral Heartworm Medicine with Flea Control There is currently one type of oral heartworm medicine which also combines flea control. These are Sentinel Flavor Tabs which contain milbemycin oxime and lufenuron. Sentinel Flavor Tabs are only available for use in dogs and there is no similar alternative suitable for use in cats. The first ingredient destroys larval stage heartworms and adult hookworm, roundworm and whipworms. The second active ingredient is an insect development inhibitor which prevents flea eggs maturing. This effectively breaks the flea life-cycle in your home. But, as it does not kill adult fleas it does not offer immediate relief from these external parasites for your pet. If your pet already has fleas, or regularly encounters them, Sentinel Flavor Tabs won’t be enough to alleviate the problems they cause. Most dog owners use these in conjunction with Capstar flea tablets which destroy adult fleas immediately.

Topical Heartworm Medicine with Flea Control

Topical or spot on heartworm medicines are preferred by pet owners who find administering tablets difficult. Two such products are available which incorporate total heartworm prevention with effective flea control. These are Advantage Multi and Revolution. Both products offer protection for both dogs and cats, and are sold in packs varying in dosage depending on the type and weight of your pet. Advantage Multi is probably the most famous version of topical heartworm medicine because it’s sister product ‘Advantage Flea Medicine’ is one of the biggest selling brands of flea drops on the market today. This topical application contains the same ingredient; imidacloprid which kills fleas and flea larvae extremely quickly. Then the additional ingredient moxidectin, gets to work destroying larval heartworm, and adult hookworm, roundworm and whipworm. Advantage Multi is a remarkably mild product with very rare cases of side-affects and suitable for use on kittens and puppies as young as seven weeks of age. Revolution also offers complete prevention of heartworm disease, with additional control of external parasites too. The versions of Revolution for dogs and cats both contain the active ingredient selamectin but they also offer protection from different parasites in the two sorts of pets. Revolution for cats protects against heartworm disease and destroys the internal parasites, hookworm and roundworm. In addition both adult fleas are killed, and flea eggs are prevented from hatching, whilst ear-mites are destroyed. Revolution for dogs gives the same protection against heartworms for dogs, whilst killing adult fleas and destroying flea eggs and ear mites. In addition dogs are given protection from ticks and sarcoptic mange. Choosing a Combined Heartworm Medicine and Flea Treatment Choosing which of the three combined heartworm and flea medicine to give, will depend on the extent of the external parasite problem for your pet. Sentinel Flavor Tabs are likely to be the cheapest option but are inadequate to deal with large adult flea populations. In addition they are only available with a veterinary prescription, even in Canada where the other products can be bought cheaply and prescription free. If fleas are an ongoing concern the topical combined heartworm medicines are much more effective. Both Advantage Multi and Revolution offer complete flea control when used regularly. But, if ticks are a problem for your dogs, consider choosing Revolution, as using Advantage Multi flea drops would need the additional tick control of a tick collar. In addition, though Advantage Multi is extremely mild, only Revolution is sold as safe for use on breeding and nursing animals.

Dog Heartworm Medicine

Heartworm disease for dogs is a treatable condition. But treatment is costly and can be dangerous. It is far safer and more economical to use a regular dog heartworm medicine. Preventative dog heartworm medicine is available in three methods of administration; injection, oral and spot on or topical treatment. Each method has its fans and critics, but all when used correctly guarantee your dog is no longer at risk from heartworm disease.

Dog Heartworm Injection

Heartworm injections are widely used overseas, but health scares have made them the least favoured option in the United States. These heartworm preventatives must be given every year or every six months by a qualified veterinarian. If you are considering such a method of heartworm prevention speak to your vet. Dog Heartworm Pills Most often used to prevent heartworm for dogs are oral dog heartworm medicines. Available as ordinary (and relatively cheap) tablets, or as tasty chewables (which are more expensive), heartworm pills used to be given daily, but are now more usually used every thirty days. Monthly oral heartworm medicines for dogs are widely available in generic versions. Their less glamourous packaging does nothing to diminish the effectiveness of the product, and can provide savings of up to 50% on the more expensive branded heartworm meds. Canine heartworm pills work by destroying any larval heartworms which have been picked up from an infected mosquito bite. They do not prevent the parasites infecting your pet, but rather work backwards ensuring those parasites never mature to the point where they can cause any health concerns for the dog. Some dogs are notoriously difficult to give tablets too. If your pet is one such animal, you can simply break up and hide the heartworm pill in its food. But, keep an eye on it to ensure the whole tablet has been eaten. Alternatively, chewable heartworm medicines are available. Only suitable for dogs which are okay with beef, these treats make medication time much more acceptable to your pet. They are designed to be eaten slowly though, so if your dog is one who likes to swallow things whole, give it only a part of the chewable heartworm medication at a time.

Topical Canine Heartworm Medicine

Topical or spot on treatments have grown in popularity as pet owners regularly use such products for the prevention of fleas. There is no issue of wondering whether your dog has swallowed the medication, which puts the pet owner in more control. Topical dog heartworm medicines also incorporate the control of other parasites. Roundworms, hookworms and other intestinal worms are controlled with most topical products. In addition using a product such as Advantage Multi or Revolution heartworm medicine for dogs can offer thorough flea control too. Using Dog Heartworm Medicine Whichever type of heartworm medicine for dogs you choose, there are a few points to remember. Prior to starting a preventative heartworm treatment, your dog should receive a heartworm test from your vet. It is advisable to repeat this test each spring to ensure your dog does not need any veterinary treatment. Monthly heartworm medicine for dogs really should be given every 30 days. The active ingredients are completely efficient at destroying all juvenile heartworm larvae that have been in the dogs system for 30 days or less. As time elapses, some medications are better than others at eliminating more mature heartworms. For the forgetful pet owner, ivermectin based products such as Heartgard heartworm pills are the most efficient at still destroying all heartworms. If you miss a dose, use your dog heartworm medicine as soon as possible, and continue to use every 30 days from this new date. If more than two months has elapsed since the last dose, speak to your vet about the need for an additional heartworm test. When changing from one type or brand to another, make sure the new monthly heartworm medicine is given 30 days after the last treatment.

Saving Money on Your Dog’s Heartworm Medicine

Heartworm medicine for dogs is fast becoming a standard, regular pet medication used by most pet owners. Ideally it should be given year round, but some pet owners make savings by using only in the warmer months when mosquitoes are most active. If you are considering seasonal use of heartworm preventatives speak to your vet about the risk of the disease in your area. Perhaps a safer way to save money on heartworm medicines is to choose wisely. Chewables are more expensive than ordinary tablets. Generic tablets are cheaper still than brands. Buying from a Canadian online pet medicine outlet may avoid the need for a veterinary prescription and the costs associated with it. Price check, as discount pet medicines vary hugely and often the largest retailers offer the smallest savings. There is a huge range of dog heartworm medicine available. As long as you choose a product labelled as a preventative heartworm treatment for dogs, you are protecting your pet. Though each product is different, all must provide the same, safe protection from disease to be labelled as a heartworm preventative.