Summer 2000

Heartworm Treatment & Prevention: Annual Proheart Injection

There is a lot of talk about a new heartworm prevention treatment which has been launched onto the market. This treatment involves an annual injection and replaces the need for monthly heartworm tablets or chewables. It has been developed to make the treatment of the dreaded heartworm easier for clients. Studies have shown that many people actually forget to give their monthly heartworm tablets regularly, reducing the protection of their dog against infection, and increasing the risk of serious disease. By the way, cats are also susceptible to heartworm infection, though it is much less common than dogs.

Here is a reminder of how heartworm causes disease: the worms are spread by mosquitos who bite an infected dog, then pass it on to your dog when they bite it. Sydney has a humid climate with lots of mozzies so there are lots of infected pooches. The tiny larvae migrate under the skin of your pooch and eventually end up in the heart, though this takes about 6 months. Then the adult worms in the heart release immature stages into the bloodstream of your canine friend who becomes a risk for other dogs in the neighbourhood. Treatment is possible though it can be risky, so it is the age-old adage of "prevention is better than cure".

Monthly heartworm treatments (Heartgard, Interceptor, Sentinel and Revolution) are very effective against protecting from the dreaded heartworm, IF THEY ARE GIVEN REGULARLY. If you miss a month or more, we would advise a blood-test to see if any infection has been established. This is where the new treatment comes in, it is a ONCE A YEAR injection, giving your dog 12 months of protection! No more little stickers on the calender to remind you, it can easily be given with the ANNUAL vaccination and health check.

The new treatment is called PROHEART SR12 and is now available at GVH. It costs a similar amount to 12 months of monthly heartworm tablets. It must be given annually with 7 days leeway. It does not treat intestinal worms or fleas, unlike using Interceptor, Sentinel or Revolution. If you have questions about the product, please phone us. It is currently only available for dogs, so cat owners need to use the other products available.

Zoe