Ask the Vet About Heartworms in Dogs and Cats

Hey! There are a lot of good products on the market but if you are looking for a pill that protects against multiple things including heartworms, fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites, Nexgard Plus is good! You will need a prescription from your vet for it! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer https://www.1800petmeds.com/nexgard%C2%AE+plus+chews+for+dogs-prod13345.html

Hey! I recommend a yearly test for heartworm disease! Make sure to have your dog on a preventative regardless! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! Sometimes dogs will scoot due to intestinal parasites but it can also be due to having full anal glands that need to be expressed! I recommend that you bring him to his vet to get checked out! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! You should probably bring her to her vet if she is not feeling well! I don't usually recommend aspirin because her vet might not be able to prescribe certain medications as a result of giving her aspirin like steroids! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! Sentinel Spectrum protects against heartworms, intestinal parasites and fleas while Heartgard only protects against heartworms and intestinal parasites! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! You are safe to give Heartgard again today! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! If you're referring to K9 Advantage Multi, that does offer heartworm prevention already. However, if you are using K9 Advantage II, you could add on a heartworm preventive such as Heartgard or Interceptor Plus! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! I like Heartgard because it can used on puppies as young as 6 weeks with no minimum weight requirement! If you want a product that also helps protect against fleas, I like Sentinel Spectrum as well. -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! You ideally should not skip your dog's heartworm prevention! Most preventatives actually work for slightly longer than a month so if you can get their normal prescription within a couple of weeks after they're due, they should still be protected. If their normal preventative is not in stock in time, I would suggest purchasing a different brand in the meantime! If you cannot get a medication for them, just resume their schedule when you can and then at their next wellness exam, you can have a heartworm test done on them. Just remember, it takes about 6 months after exposure for dogs to test positive for heartworms! -Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! No they should not be able to get heart worm disease. However, the company makes us do yearly heart worm tests to refill prescriptions as a precaution. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer PLEASE CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBvlURdNKSJ2oRbzUB1_JQw

Hey! If you missed 1 or 2 months you are fine to give it to her today. The worms in her blood will not be big enough yet to cause any harm and the heartgard will kill them. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! Your almost at the right place! You can make an appointment with a vet online at VET LIVE here on Petmeds and they can help get it for you sent to your front door. HERE IS THE LINK: https://www.1800petmeds.com/vetlive I hope this helps! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

Hey! I think a weight loss diet is not a bad idea. Broad could also be his body type, but if you cannot feel his ribs easily then you are safe to put him on a diet. I like to use Blue Buffalo GI sold on Petmeds.come or Or even better Blue buffalo W+U I will put the link below to this food. Also, make sure no people food such as bread or pizza crust is being fed as this causes the most weight gain. I hope this helped. Dr. Lindsay Butzer BLUE BUFFALO DIET FOOD: https://www.1800petmeds.com/blue+natural+veterinary+diet+w%2Bu+weight+management+%2B+urinary+care+dry+dog+food-prod61212.html

Hey! I would have them tested first before starting. There is a low % that something will happen in cats since they are not the definitive host for heart worms and normally are not as affected as dogs. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

HEY! You dont need to be worried! Missing 2 months is ok. It takes 7 months for the adult worms to mature to the point where they can cause a problem. However, missing alot of months some worms can grow to adults. So just try your best to do this every month. I hope this helps! Dr. Lindsay Butzer