Heartgard or Heartgard plus for dogs

When looking for the best heartworm preventives for your pooch, the top choices are usually Heartgard or Heartgard Plus, however, as you can see there a wide variety of other options you can choose from as well. Traditionally, the preferable options are chewable and offer a wide range of benefits. As pet owners learn more about the benefits of different ingredients and how they can effect their pets, they appreciate having a larger selection to choose from.

Read this article to find which is a better option between the two for your canine.

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite which is spread through mosquito bites.

This serious disease can cause everlasting damage to the heart and blood vessels in dogs, cats, and ferrets. Unfortunately, the heartworm treatment is not just expensive but also takes quite long. Besides, the entire duration of treatment has to be treated with caution, for any excitability or exercise in the meantime can prove fatal for infected dogs.

It is natural for pets to spend time outdoors, isn’t it?

This makes it extremely difficult to avoid them being exposed to mosquitoes, even infected ones. After all, there is no way to tell beforehand which mosquitoes are carrying the damaging parasite.

How does Preventive Medication against Heartworm work?

The preventive medication offered by Heartgard and Heartgard Plus works pretty much the same way except for a few differences. The chemical composition of the medication is such that it renders the parasite inactive at a very nascent stage. The parasite is known to grow and mature within the host, that is dogs. Preventive medication cuts off any activity and maturation of the parasitic worm in the larval stage itself.

This means that the worm cannot mature within the dog’s body despite entering it through a mosquito bite. Although the heartworm does enter your dog’s body, the regular intervention of preventive medication can prohibit any serious effects from being caused. This is the reason more and more dog parents are resorting to such effective medication such as Heartgard and Heartgard Plus for their pets.

Getting hold of Heartgard preventive medication for your pet is no hassle at all these days. You can visit or even order online from trusted pet stores like lambertvetsupply.com and rest assured of quality delivery for your pooch. Not just this, you can use the platform to get hold of the best preventive comparison charts against heartworm. At the same time, you can learn more about heartworm disease in detail.

Key Differences between Heartgard and Heartgard Plus

Although the two sound quite similar, there is a fundamental difference between Heartgard and Heartgard Plus:

• While the former offers protection against heartworm disease alone, Heartgard Plus offers a triple layer of protection against heartworm, roundworm as well as hookworm.

Besides, it also takes care of your pets against intestinal parasites or ascarids. This means investing in Heartgard Plus offers protection to your canines against a wider range of diseases.

• When it comes to application and other aspects, there is not much difference between Heartgard and Heartgard Plus. Both preventive medications are suited to dogs that are at least six weeks old.

At the same time, both the medications are available as chewable. You can expect protective effects right from the first month itself and the dosage has to be given every month.

• There is also not much difference when it comes to experiencing the side effects of the medication. The main medicinal ingredient of both Heartgard and Heartgard Plus is Ivermectin.

There are associated side effects and risks with this ingredient if taken in higher doses than recommended. However, if you stick to the dosage prescribed in the medication and by your vet, there are no side effects to worry about.

Which medication is better, Heartgard or Heartgard Plus?

If you look at the chemical make, side effects and application, both the medications are almost the same. However, Heartgard Plus offers your dog wider protection against diseases. As it includes within its umbrella three parasitic diseases, you can rest assured that you won’t need to worry about separate medications for them in the future.

However, it may so happen that your dog is already taking medication for hookworm and roundworm. In that case, all you need to worry about is a medication against heartworm. This makes Heartgard a sufficient as well as sound medication to fall back upon.

The chewable medication needs to be administered to your dog all year round at an interval of 30 days. There are no other prerequisites to take care of.

Why offer your dog medication against heartworm at all?

Heartworm can be treated when a dog is infected with it. However, the process is not just long but also entails some difficulties. First, dog owners must ensure that their pet is neither jumping and exercising around nor too excited. The simple reason is that the heartworm growing inside your dog’s blood vessels and heart can develop worse with higher blood rates.

This means dog parents would need to ensure that their pet remains calm and quiet for long periods. This is not always possible because, well, dogs love to run about and enjoy.

Second, it is also quite taxing for your dog to undergo treatment for heartworm, which is a fatal disease.

In case the complications are not handled well, the results can be disastrous. Therefore, it is highly recommended that your dog be given preventive medication against the disease beforehand, infection or no infection. Preventive medication is not just painless and harmless for your dog, but also less taxing for you, in general.

Final words

Dogs are truly man’s best friends, aren’t they? In this case, it is our duty to protect them against any mishaps or diseases. Getting your pet dog preventive medication against a common and inevitable disease such as heartworm is the basic you can do.

We recommend investing in a good preventive medication like Heartgard or Heartgard Plus for your dog and keep them safe and sound!