Dog Heartgard Medicine

Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm (Dirofilaria immitis) that is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes. The heartworm affects dogs, cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and some other animals, such as ferrets, sea lions, and even humans. The parasitic worm is called a "heartworm" because the parasite, in the final reproductive stage of its life cycle, resides in the heart of its host where it can stay for many years and may kill its host through congestive failure of the heart. Thankfully there are some drug companies that produce medication to counter these parasites. Heartgard is an animal medicine for dogs and cats produced by veterinary drug company, Merial. It is a beef-flavored chewable tablet given by mouth once monthly to protect pets from heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms. However, it has no effect on whipworms. The active ingredients in Heartgard are ivermectin and pyrantel. Competing products for heartworm prevention are Pfizer's Revolution, and Novartis's Interceptor and Sentinel. Revolution is a topical once-monthly pet medicine that prevents heartworms, fleas, ear mites, sarcoptic mange (scabies), and certain types of ticks in dogs, and prevents heartworms, fleas, ear mites, hookworms, and roundworms in cats. Selamectin is the main ingredient, and side effects, while rare, may include digestive upset and hair loss, and rarely, dermatitis at the application site. Main rival products for dogs may include Heartgard by Merial, or Interceptor by Novartis for heartworms, Frontline by Merial, or Program by Novartis for fleas, or Sentinel (a mix of Program and Interceptor) by Novartis for both. Generally Revolution is prescribed for cats and smaller indoor dogs due to studies that have shown it does not work as well to prevent heartworms as some of the present oral preventatives.