So Sierra and Jack have always been on Interceptor for their heartworm meds, we are out and need to buy more before Nov.1
I just called the Vet we last saw and they have switched to Heartgard. i know nothing of this brand as i have not looked it up yet but she said the main reason for their switching to that was the dogs accepted it better i guess cause of the taste?...
mine have never rejected the interceptor. so do i need to find a vet that carries the interceptor to buy ASAP and pay a higher price or should i switch them?
what do you all use as a heartworm preventive?

I use Iverhart Plus which is a cheaper/generic version of Heartgard Plus. I've used Interceptor before but it is so much more expensive and all 3 of mine do fine on Iverhart Plus. I've also used Iverhart Max in the past with no problem but my holistic vet prefer Plus instead of Max since Plus has less chemicals. Iverhart Plus kills heartworm, hookworm, and roundworms while Iverhart Max kills heartworm, hookworm, roundworm, and tapeworm.

Heartgard is a very good, well known and effective heartworm preventative. It has a couple cheaper generics like Iverhart and Tri-heart.

I have had Sora on Heartguard. She eats it fine with no problem, and she never really has any side effects.

I have mine on Iverhart Plus. They seem to do fine but I hate giving them these chemicals but it's a neccessary evil. Had too many rescues treated for heartworms and would hate to see one of my own go through that.

I've used both. I like Interceptor because it protects against whipworm, which Heartguard does not. Whipworm is found throughout the United States although it's more prevalent in certain areas. But Heartguard is just fine too

i use Iverhart Plus for Embry

I used Heartgard for a long time for all my dogs. Then the vet suggested Revolution, which is a heartworm, flea & tick preventer. We've used for about 3 years now, and so far, so good. The behaviorist there, Kay, also said it was good. Rleatively well-priced at $17.
But, regardless, Jenn, Heartgard is a good product, I think.

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i use interceptor as well

We use heartguard and it actually got rid of Roxy's heart worms

BONFIRE HUSKIES wrote:

We use heartguard and it actually got rid of Roxy's heart worms

Be aware that the heartworm meds only kill the immature worms in the blood stream they do nothing about killing the adults already living in the heart itself.

i have used both but i think we are currently using Heartgaurd

im sending ken to the vet today cause he is not working today and we are going to get just a 3 month supply of the heartguard and that will give me some time to look into others and to see if they do ok on it.
now with having them on the meds year round should you still have them tested every few years just in case?

Our vet recommends testing them every year anyway since heartworm meds do not kill ALL heartworms and really only prevent. Actually- our vet won't write the prescription without getting tested. Not sure how common that is though.

jbealer wrote:

now with having them on the meds year round should you still have them tested every few years just in case?

Definitely have them heartworm tested EVERY year. I don't know about over there in CO, but every place I've ever lived in FL, WA, and SC the vets are required to do a heartworm test before giving a new prescription.

Your vet probably won't tell you this either but heartworm preventatives like Heartgard (and generics), Interceptor, etc last longer than 30 days. Your monthly heartworm prevention pill actually can safely be given every 45 days and still give the same coverage. I give my dogs their HW pills every 45 days which saves us money AND decreases the frequency that we flood their bodies with chemicals...it's a win win situation and does not put the dogs at a higher risk.

i think i will have them tested in Jan then before we need to get more pills. and ask about the 45 day on the pills that would be so much better. i ever only get the 1yr and split it with them so every 6months we get a new pack so it helps with not having to shell a ton of money right away. thanks for the info val

Yes, vets are required to test for heartworms every year before dispensing. It is my understanding that this is because if they ARE heartworm positive, giving the meds can be a risk to their health. I was told why this is so years ago, so don't remember, but the Vet's office should be able to give you that answer.

amykmac wrote:

Yes, vets are required to test for heartworms every year before dispensing. It is my understanding that this is because if they ARE heartworm positive, giving the meds can be a risk to their health. I was told why this is so years ago, so don't remember, but the Vet's office should be able to give you that answer.

That is exactly correct. The preventative pills can be very harmful if given to a dog who is infected with adult heartworms.


Jenn, you are more than welcome to ask your vet about the HW pills being okay to give every 45 days but most vets will probably not advise doing that. The manufacturers put the 30 day recommendation on their products so if you don't follow the manufacturers directions they are not liable if your dog somehow contracts HW. Is it safe to do HW prevention every 45 days? Yes. Will your vet agree? Maybe, but most likely not. Why wouldn't they? First off they sell you HW pills ($$) and second is possible liability issues (your vet will not want to be responsible if your dog did contract HW). FWIW, I would never suggest anything that might put you or your dogs' health in jeopardy. I have been doing the HW pill every 45 days for two years now and my dogs have always tested negative and I know so many other people who have gone by the 45 day schedule for their dogs for years as well and I've never heard of anyone ever having a problem.

The 45 day schedule can also be applied to flea/tick treatment if you use chemical flea/tick prevention. Just little tips to save you money and keep your pups healthier via less invasive chemicals.

Or... if you're like me, you still do it every 30 days, except that you don't panic when you accidentally forget and are a week late Without that knowledge, I tend to freak out... so I still shoot for 30, but it likely ends up being 40ish days. I was given this knowledge about a year ago by good friends who treat their Great Dane and Bernese Mt dog just as well as we all treat our huskies

Koda wrote:

Or... if you're like me, you still do it every 30 days, except that you don't panic when you accidentally forget and are a week late Without that knowledge, I tend to freak out... so I still shoot for 30, but it likely ends up being 40ish days.

LOL I tend to forget too so I put their HW treatment on a 42 day schedule in case I forget for a few days which has happened.

i tend to forget to give it to him monthly, but if you go on iverhearts website, they will send you monthly reminders on the day you need to give them their heartworm med.

Huskyluv wrote:

I don't know about over there in CO, but every place I've ever lived in FL, WA, and SC the vets are required to do a heartworm test before giving a new prescription.

Okay well now I'm going to contradict myself. lol I've now found a place that will dispense heartworm preventative without testing. I've only been in SC for 9 months now and there are no holistic vets in my area, that royally stinks. Anyway, since Faith had her anal gland issue I took her to the closest traditional vet I could find. While she was there I decided to go ahead and have her annual taken care of and asked them to do a blood test for heartworm so that I could get a new prescription. The doc looked at me like I was speaking gibberish and asked if she was not current on her heartworm preventatives, to which I explained she was and I wanted to test her for a refill. He told me that he believes me when I say she is current and would sell me the HW preventatives without testing her. He called HW tests a waste of money unless the dog has been off HW prevention for 3 months or longer. Now that is honestly a complete shock to me, I didn't think they could do that.

VERY INTERESTING! THOUGHT IT WAS A REQUIREMENT. I'D STILL REQUEST THE TEST MYSELF, THO. WEIRD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN IT COMES TO MEDS, AND BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY, I THINK.

Lordbroll wrote:

BONFIRE HUSKIES wrote:

We use heartguard and it actually got rid of Roxy's heart worms

Be aware that the heartworm meds only kill the immature worms in the blood stream they do nothing about killing the adults already living in the heart itself.

Roxy had no microfilaria and was heart worm positive. She is no longer positive and shows absolutely no signs of having any heart worms in her system what so ever.

Oh my gosh, I feel like a horrible pet owner right now! Koda has had a HW test in the past year- May, he was negative- after our move out of the apartment I have completely forgotten about his pills so he hasn't had it for 4 months! I am going to go retest him and start giving him it. Thank goodness for this reminder!

But to speak of, I have never been around a dog with heartworm positive and are there any signs or anything of the sort to know if they are? Is it more common in certain spots in the country? This is the one subject I don't know a lot about.