Generic Heartworm Medication

Generic heartworm medicine is one way that we can keep costs down but still keep our pets free of heartworms. There are a number of heartworm medications available to us, both branded and generic names. The generic heartworm medicine is simply a cheaper option that still contains the same active ingredient. Valuheart is my generic of choice and you can now buy it without a prescription which means it is much easier to make the purchase.

What we will find in generic heartworm medicine is the active ingredient Ivermectin. Whether you purchase something like Heartgard or the generic alternative Valuheart, this active ingredient is the same. Ivermectin works in the same manner no matter what the packaging looks like. Of course with heartworm medicine like Heartgard you also get additional protection against intestinal worms but this is only needed if such worms are a problem to your pet.

If you only want to protect against heartworms then a generic heartworm medicine is more than adequate. It is worth understanding what heartworm medication is actually doing. It is killing the small larval stage of the heartworm. Heartworms are introduced by the mosquito. When they bite your pet to draw blood the microscopic heartworm larvae may be introduced in to the animal. They will then, over many months, grow to adult worms where they will live in the ventricle of the heart. It is the adults which threaten our pets and we need to ensure that this adult stage is never reached. A monthly preventative is the best way to ensure our pets never get heartworms.

It is always recommended that we have our Dogs or Cats checked by a vet before beginning a course of heartworm medication. If a Dog has adult heartworms then it needs to be treated before it can begin a course of monthly preventatives. It can be dangerous for animals to have a monthly heartworm medication if they have adult worms so always get them checked if you feel they make have contracted heartworms some time ago. The generic heartworm medication Valuheart can be safely given to Dogs up to a month after a suspected case of heartworm and it will act against this problem. It is known to be very effective at also treating for heartworms that may have entered the Dogs body up to six months previously. However if you wish to use it in this way then you must continue the course for a full twelve months. This is only if you are trying to treat for heartworms that were contracted up to six months ago. This is not needed if you are just protecting because it is mosquito season.

A point worth making is that the heartworm society now recommend treating Dogs with heartworm medicine for the whole year. Because mosquitoes are now so prevalent it is believed that year round treatment is needed. Of course this is at the complete discretion of the owner but if you buy generic heartworm medication is should not be very expensive to do so.