Once-A-Year Heartworm Prevention For Your Dog Has Arrived!
![](https://www.dupontvet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/iStock-508522476-1024x722.jpg)
Heartworm disease remains a serious and potentially fatal disease that is spread to our pets by mosquitoes. In 2019 there have been over 2,500 cases in Indiana alone, and these are only the cases that were reported. In fact, Dupont Veterinary Clinic treated 7 dogs in August 2019, alone!
Suffice it to say, heartworm disease has definitely not gone away, making heartworm prevention for your dog a must.
Heartworm Disease in a Nutshell
The end result of a heartworm infestation is that an infected pet can end up with irreversible heart damage and failure. Pets suffering from heartworm disease often end up suffering through weight loss, lethargy, coughing, and ultimately heart failure.
Often, by the time a pet is diagnosed with heartworm disease, there is already significant damage to the heart and vessels. Even if the infection can be contained, the damage can not be reversed and the treatment is a harrowing and expensive process, with no guarantee of success.
Prevention is of Paramount Importance
Effective heartworm preventives have been available for many years. At one time prevention had to be administered on a daily basis, but for the past 30 years a chewable (and, purportedly tasty), monthly preventative has been available at a reasonable price.
Dupont Veterinary Clinic has long recommended Heartgard Plus – which has been, and remains, a great product. However, there is one problem: pet owners are human and we’re busy and can forget to give it! Even your veterinary team members at DVC struggle to remember giving their own pets their heartworm preventive every month. This problem is compounded by the fact that heartworm prevention for your dog (and cat!) is recommended year-round in Indiana.
Enter ProHeart 12: Year-Round Heartworm Prevention for Your Dog
Proheart 12 is an injectable heartworm prevention that is given once a year (hence the 12 – meaning 12 months of protection) to dogs older than one-year-of-age. We have had Proheart 6 (which offered 6-months of protection per-dose) for a number of years, but now the FDA has approved ProHeart12, giving veterinarians and pet owners alike a reason to celebrate.
The first and foremost question on everyone’s lips is, “Is it safe?”
While no preventive – or any drug for that matter – is 100% side-effect free, ProHeart 12’s safety profile is excellent. It is equally safe as traditional oral monthly preventatives. ProHeart 12 has been extensively tested and has been available in Europe for many years. It has also had extensive studies showing that it can be given along with vaccines with no added risk to your pet.
With regard to effectiveness, studies have shown ProHeart12 to be 100% effective in the prevention of heartworms. While the product is guaranteed to protect your pet because of its efficacy, what sells ProHeart 12’s effectiveness is that, once given, we no longer have to worry about breaks in protection until the next dosage comes due.
Dupont Veterinary Clinic has been eagerly anticipating the arrival of ProHeart 12 to help protect your pet. The safety and convenience as well as the added protection to your pet makes switching to ProHeart 12 for your dog’s heartworm prevention a great option! Please contact us with any questions you might have, or to schedule an appointment!