Worms Cats Dogs

Dogs and cats that have been diagnosed with heartworm disease should undergo heartworm treatment first before going through the prevention. It is a prerequisite to have your pet’s blood tested negative first before prevention program begins. Also dogs and cats that are at least 6 months old should be tested every six months or yearly.

There are many dog heartworm preventives out there on the market but only a few available for cats. In endemic areas, cats should also be given preventive medicine. Some of the preventives that are most common are as following:

Diethylcarbamazine tablets – Given on a daily basis to dogs which do not have microfilaria. There are side effects of this medicine which include headaches, weakness nausea and malaise. However, DEC is generally considered safe and reliable.

Ivermectin – Should be given once a month as preventives for dogs and cats. If accidentally given to heartworm positive dogs no reaction of any kind will occur. However in cases where the larval worms die too quickly, a shock-like circulatory reaction can occur. Therefore, because of this reason, it is recommended that the first dose be given under veterinary supervision. The dog will then be observed for several hours in case of trouble.

However, it has been reported that there are severe adverse reactions in Collies and Collie mixes after use of this drug. Some milder reactions are stomach and intestinal upset, irritability and stiffness.

Milbemycin Oxim based products – Given once a month which will clear microfilariae, suppress female worm’s ability to reproduce and kill L3′s and L4′s accumulated in the month prior to taking the medicine. This medicine will kill the microfilariae much faster than with ivermectin products. It is likely to cause a shock-like reaction where the dead larval worms clog the blood circulation as it they die too fast all at once. If your pet has a light infection, this may not be a problem but heavily infected dogs are recommended they not use milbemycin. Milbemycin is only meant to be used as preventives which means it is to be used in heartworm negative dogs.

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