Note: This is a guest post from Heartworm-Medicine.info, a site that offers heartworm pills at an affordable price and with no prescription.
Many more dog owners choose to give their dogs heartworm treatment. Whether this is because of the rise in mosquito numbers or a more widespread concern over the effects of adult heartworms on dogs, more people are choosing to treat against this problem.
Running a successful web site where I can make available all manner of heartworm treatments, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss how to get heartworm pills without prescription at a very low price.
Generic heartworm pills
Although there are a number of different heartworm pills available, the prices vary quite drastically.
Heartgard Plus is by far the most popular option, but it is not the cheapest. Buying cheap heartworm pills could mean buying a brand you are not aware of yet, but the cheaper option may mean the difference between using a treatment or not. This is especially true for people who have multiple dogs to look after. Pet meds can be expensive when trying to care for more than one animal.
By using a generic instead of a well-known brand, we can make some significant savings. The best selling generic treatment available is Valuheart. At under $20 for a six-months supply, it means that our dogs can be treated for a low price and kept completely safe. As far as cheap heartworm pills go, this is a very good and safe option.
Valuheart contains the exact same active ingredient as Heartgard, which is Ivermectin. The dosage is exactly the same and we will get exactly the same benefits as using the more well-known Heartgard. We may not be getting the same fancy packaging and the advertising budget is certainly a lot lower, but the medication is half the price.
Treating heartworm all year
People are now treating their dogs every month of the year rather than only for the time of the year when mosquitoes are most likely to be present. Of course, this depends on where you live. If you are in a part of the country that has snow and cold weather for a significant part of the year, then you do not need a year round treatment.
For milder climates though, people are deciding to treat each month because of the savings and peace of mind. To ensure a dog’s safety, the dog must be cleared by a vet before her owner can give her a heartworm treatment if she has not had a dose in the last 3 months or more. Considering it will only cost ten dollars or so to give cheap pills for that period, the price of continuing treatment all year is much lower than the visit to the vets that would otherwise be required.
Of course, all this depends on your views about giving medications to your pets, but it is something to consider. And if you do not need to buy a heartworm treatment that combines the treatment of heartworms with other common problems such as intestinal worms or flea control, then using a generic such as Valuheart, Proheart or Nuheart is a very good alternative.
As a side note, anyone who has difficulty getting their dog to take a tablet, however well disguised in a tasty treat it is, then you will be pleased to know tha Nuheart is totally soluble and can simply be mixed with a little water and added to the dog’s regular meal.
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November 9th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Hmmm interesting. I didn’t know you could get heartworm meds without a prescription. However, we have collies so can’t use ivermectin.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Why is it that collies can’t have ivermectin?
November 9th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Great post!
Just wanted to add that ivermectin treatments do not provide coverage against whipworms, so please consult your vet if these parasites are found in your region. Interceptor (milbemycin oxime), unlike Heartgard, does require a prescription, but also protects against whipworms.
We just adopted a dog who came to us on Heartgard & tested heartworm neg, so we didn’t think we had anything to worry about. We were surprised when she tested positive for whipworms at an initial vet screening. We’ve now finished two of three cycles of dewormer, which has been unpleasant for her and expensive for us.
We now have her on Interceptor. I’d be interested in finding out if there was a generic alternative that would give us the same preventive coverage, because after this experience, we would not use ivermectin, either in a brand name or generic drug.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Thanks for sharing your experience, Shay.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Shay,
Our sponsor will allow you to order Advantage Multi through the site without a prescription. It treats for whipworms as well as Mange, Lice, Roundworms, Hookworms, Fleas and flea Larvae as well as heartworm treatment.
It is very effective and although more expensive than Interceptor it is a very thorough medication and people find it works out cheaper overall rather than using a separate flea treatment if it is a problem. Sorry but I can’t get a generic form of Interceptor or I would point you in that direction.
Cynthia
Proheart has Moxidectin as the active ingredient rather than Ivermectin so is fine for Collies and is much cheaper than anything else as well. It’s a good choice for those concerned about Ivermectin.
Lindsay,
Thanks for the opportunity to post an article.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Shay,
As an aside could you not have used something like Panacur C to have got rid of the problem initially? It is only a few dollars for a 3 day treatment which is supposed to do the job?
November 10th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Thanks for answering those questions, Dave!
November 10th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Lindsay, I know I’m not Cynthia, but I can answer your question about why we don’t give Ivermectin to Collies, or in my case to the Shelties. It is because of a drug sensitivity called MDR1. It is common in the herding breeds. Even though not all dogs in these breeds are affected, many of us just avoid those drugs in general as a precauation. This website gives more information about MDR1 and a list of drugs that can be a problem. http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-vcpl/ Hope this answers your question. It sounds like Dave has some good options for those that have special needs.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Thanks Marie. I had no idea.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Dave,
Thanks for the info about Advantage Multi. I’ll look into it.
As for deworming, we are giving her Panacur C. However, the costs do add up. Our vet has prescribed three cycles of the drug of 3 days each, and since our dog weighs close to 70 lbs, it is more than a few dollars for 9 doses for a dog that size.
Beyond the drug cost (and I’m sure we’ll do a follow-up stool sample check once the third cycle is complete too), taking the medication has had some side effects. Nothing too horrible such as an allergic reaction, but it has led to stomach/digestive discomfort. All in all, it’s just not something we want to repeat.