Heartworm, as the name suggests, is a parasite in which the adult stage lives in the heart and lungs of dogs and, less commonly, cats.
It is spread by mosquitoes, so any dog living in Brisbane is potentially at risk. It can be an insidious disease with symptoms sometimes taking years to appear.
In the case of Heartworm Disease, it is very true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is easily preventable but, once an animal is infected, very difficult ( and expensive!) to treat.
We recommend Proheart SR12, a once a year injection, as the best form of preventing Heartworm Disease in dogs. It can be done at the same time as your dog’s annual health check and vaccination and is completely safe to combine with all other worm and flea control products. For those of us old enough to remember when all that was available were daily tablets, a once a year injection is a luxury! Remember, a lapse in flea control or intestinal worming can be relatively easily remedied but if you overlook Heartworm prevention, it is potentially far more serious.
Unfortunately, Proheart cannot be used in cats. The best option for preventing Heartworm Disease in cats remains the monthly spot on products that combine heartworm prevention with flea and intestinal worm control as well.