How long can a dog go between heartworm pills? A Step-by-Step Guide

Why Give a Heartworm Preventative Every 30 Days?

Heartworm larvae are initially susceptible to heartworm preventatives. Once the larvae start maturing into adult heartworms, however, the preventatives are no longer effective. The common consensus is that it takes about 40‒50 days for heartworm larvae to mature to the point where heartworm preventatives no longer work.

So, from the initial mosquito bite to the beginning of maturation, there is an approximate 45-day grace period that a heartworm preventative can provide protection. Because administering a preventative every 45 days is hard to remember, the easy-to-follow recommendation is to give the heartworm preventative every 30 days.

The American Heartworm Society has recommended year-round heartworm protection, without missing a dose. A missed heartworm pill leaves your pet exposed to becoming infected, which can happen even in winter. Making monthly heartworm medication part of your pets health care regimen makes it easier to remember. Of course, mistakes happen and sometimes pet parents forget a dose. However, it may help you to remember if you consider that:

Interested in more commonly asked questions about heartworm disease? Check out our heartworm disease FAQs resource.

However, in the case that your pet has never been on heartworm prevention its important that you learn how to get started right away. Heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 states year-round. Monthly heartworm preventatives can help your pet avoid this potentially deadly disease. Why is it important to never a miss a heartworm dose?

Innovations in heartworm and flea prevention can make it easier than ever to protect your pet against multiple parasites at once! Read our article covering combination heartworm & flea preventatives.

Being a responsible pet parent means consistently giving your pet proper health care, nutrition and love. Neglecting to protect your pet from heartworms unnecessarily exposes him or her to a deadly yet preventable disease.

What happens if my dog tests positive for heartworms?

No one wants to hear that their dog has heartworm, but the good news is that most infected dogs can be successfully treated. The goal is to first stabilize your dog if he is showing signs of disease, then kill all adult and immature worms while keeping the side effects of treatment to a minimum.

Heres what you should expect if your dog tests positive:

Confirm the diagnosis. Once a dog tests positive on an antigen test, the diagnosis should be confirmed with an additional—and different—test. Because the treatment regimen for heartworm is both expensive and complex, your veterinarian will want to be absolutely sure that treatment is necessary.

Restrict exercise. This requirement might be difficult to adhere to, especially if your dog is accustomed to being active. But your dog’s normal physical activities must be restricted as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, because physical exertion increases the rate at which the heartworms cause damage in the heart and lungs. The more severe the symptoms, the less activity your dog should have.

Stabilize your dogs disease. Before actual heartworm treatment can begin, your dog’s condition may need to be stabilized with appropriate therapy. In severe cases of heartworm disease, or when a dog has another serious condition, the process can take several months.

Administer treatment. Once your veterinarian has determined your dog is stable and ready for heartworm treatment, he or she will recommend a treatment protocol involving several steps. The American Heartworm Society has guidelines for developing this plan of attack. Dogs with no signs or mild signs of heartworm disease, such as cough or exercise intolerance, have a high success rate with treatment. More severe disease can also be successfully treated, but the possibility of complications is greater. The severity of heartworm disease does not always correlate with the severity of symptoms, and dogs with many worms may have few or no symptoms early in the course of the disease.

Test (and prevent) for success. Approximately 9 months after treatment is completed, your veterinarian will perform a heartworm test to confirm that all heartworms have been eliminated. To avoid the possibility of your dog contracting heartworm disease again, you will want to administer heartworm prevention year-round for the rest of his life.

How Long Should I Give My Dog Heartworm Prevention Tablets For? – Dog Health Vet Advice