Heartworm/Flea Prevention!

Tip of the Month: Did you do your monthly heartworm and flea prevention yesterday on the first of the month?

Which brand of prevention are your animals on? There are SO MANY different brands out there, so we would LOVE to hear about your brand that you’ve been recommended and make sure that you’re paying for something that will get you complete coverage!

Not all cover the same things, so it’s important to be informed!

Did you know that most preventions (except ProHeart and Revolution) cover Intestinal Parasites too (like Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms, etc.), which are all very contagious to dogs, cats, kids, and adults! Almost all can live in the soil or can be found in other animal’s feces, which can be anywhere like a local park (ESPECIALLY DOG PARKS!!!) or even a playground sandbox which feral or outside cats tend to think is a big GIANT litter box! :o)

When discussing preventions… Things to Ask Your Vet or Vet Technician!

1.) What intestinal parasites does it cover?

2.) Does it have any flea prevention in it, and if so, is it just an inhibitor (which sterilizes live fleas but doesn’t kill any adults), or does it kill fleas on contact? If it kills on contact (like most topicals), when is the best time to bathe my dog? Does it have any tick prevention? Are you in an area where ticks are a concern (or does your dog travel to an area where ticks may be prevalent, like camping or hunting)?

3.) How often is it given? Is there a problem if I miss it or am late?

4.) How much does user error play in the effectiveness of this product? Sometimes people bathe at the wrong times for a topical product, or a dog takes a chewable product and goes to bury it, or they set it down, and another dog grabs it! Or if you have two (or more!) different size dogs and you mix up the boxes?

5.) Has this prevention ever been recalled, and if so, why?

I do not work for any heartworm or flea prevention vendors and will not usually tell people what I use so that they will do their own research! Be YOUR pet’s advocate. What’s right for my lifestyle and my pets may not be what is right for you and yours! Please let us know if you have any questions!

P.S. Almost every heartworm prevention company has an app now to remind you to give your preventions, so be sure to look and sign up for yours!