No matter what type of pill you or vet chooses for your pet, the ingredients will most likely include either selamectin or ivermectin. Many vets recommend that these pills should be given in addition to the usual topical treatments, especially in known areas of high infestation – regardless of how much time your dog might spend outside.

It might take some trial and error to find the perfect pill for your individual pet. In families with multiple dogs, there’s a brilliant chance that each dog might need or do well with one particular brand vs. What his housemates take.

Years ago, the first type of pill came on the market – once which needed to be administered daily. Any dog owner knows how hard it is to get a pill into his beloved pet, so researchers finally developed a monthly pill. Of course, this comes with risks because the level of medicine – which is tantamount to poison for the worms – can cause problems in these dosage levels.

Dogs who do take a monthly heartworm pills for dogs frequently experience some toxic side effects which can range from a simple nuisance to life threatening heart palpitations and seizures. The real problem here is that poisons tend to build up in the body and they don’t always cause an immediate reaction.

For pooches who need the pills but do everything possible to avoid them, there are some beef flavored alternatives that even the most fussy are usually more than pleased to gobble up when questioned to.

Whatever you do, never give your dog any type of heartworm medication without consulting with your vet and getting explicit instructions and a prescribed course of action. Because of the inherent levels of toxicity involved with these preparations, you don’t want to cause problems unnecessarily. Don’t try buying these online “without a prescription” and don’t buy generic brands you aren’t familiar with.

One pill may be too much for many dogs. Take for example a toy poodle and a Huskey. It only stands to reason that the poodle would need a lower dose than the Huskey, and therefore, giving the poodle the same pill could quickly cause disastrous side effects. Don’t self prescribe!

Preventive medicines have been around for quite some time and even though they aren’t 100% effective, they indeed do a remarkable job at keeping our pets safe, especially in areas known for high levels of infected mosquito infestations. Monthly treatments involve topical ointments that are usually rubbed onto the back of your dog’s neck where he can’t lick it off, and/or pills that can be taken daily or monthly.

Most medicines are multi-functional, meaning, they work on more than just heartworms. Depending on the medicine it could also be used to prevent roundworms, hookworms, and/or tapeworms, along with being able to kill eggs and larvae and perhaps even ticks.

Don’t reckon that keeping your dog indoors is preventive medicine! Mosquitoes are notorious for going where they aren’t welcome, and our homes aren’t immune from harboring at least one or two of these pesky critters. And that’s all you need to get your dog infected.

Depending on your vet, he may also recommend giving your dogs pills in addition to using the topical ointments. In areas that are near water – where mosquitoes thrive – he may want your dog to be doubly protected. Do as he suggests, but make certain you don’t overmedicate or buy substitute prescriptions that may be cheaper without checking with your vet first.

If your dog has been diagnosed with heartworm, you will now need to give him the heartworm medications that are to cure/treat, rather than prevent. Once your dog has been diagnosed with heartworm, he’s already very sick, and these medications can make him worse. Some dogs have no side effects, others succumb to the side effects. Much like chemotherapy in human cancer patients, these medicines are poisons meant to kill the invading worms and larvae, frequently making the patient sicker before things get better.

It’s hard to get a right reading on how effective these drugs can be because frequently the deaths caused by the drugs are recorded as “death by heartworm” instead of the real culprit. If your vet suggests that you start an aggressive treatment schedule, you need to have a serious discussion with him about possible side effects – especially in your pet – vs. What would happen with no medical intervention.