Heartgard Plus

Heartgard Plus is a veterinary drug for the prevention of heartworm disease and the treatment and prevention of roundworms and hookworms in dogs. It is produced by the animal health company Merial.

Function and Specifications

Heartgard Plus contains the active ingredients ivermectin and pyrantel. Ivermectin gradually eliminates heartworm by destroying the tissue stage of the worm and blocking development to harmful stages. Ivermectin does not kill all heartworms immediately, since fragments of the dead heartworms travel to the lungs; too many particles will result in harmful blockages of the blood vessels to the lungs [ [http://stason.org/TULARC/animals/dogs/medical-information/22-Treatment-Of-Heartworm-Disease.html 22 Treatment Of Heartworm Disease ] ] .
In addition, Heartgard Plus should not be used on dogs with existing worm infections because ivermectin is not effective against adult heartworms. Treatment in such a case must be through another medicine program. Once the existing infection is cleared, preventative treatment with Heartgard Plus can begin.
A generic equivalent of the ivermectin component of Heartgard Plus is made by Iverhart [http://www.iverhart.com/ Iverhart company website] .
The pyrantel ingredient controls Toxocaridae|roundworms and hookworms which infest the intestine. Pyrantel effectively paralyzes these parasites so that they cannot attach themselves to the intestine, and they are then passed in the animal’s bowel movement [ [http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_pyrantel_pamoate.html Pyrantel Pamoate ] ]
Note that Heartgard, also produced by Merial, contains only ivermectin, and so is a dedicated heartworm preventative.
Heartgard Plus is delivered in the form of a beef-flavored chewable tablet, administered once per month. Treatment should be continuous. Note that product taste is an important factor, since ivermectin is extremely bitter [ [http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ivermectin.html Ivermectin ] ] .
Heartgard Plus is safe for use for dogs of all weights, sizes, and breeds, including Collies and other ivermectin-sensitive breeds, since the amount of ivermectin in the recommended dose of Heartgard Plus is much lower than the amount necessary for a negative reaction. Heartgard Plus treatment can be initiated once the dog reaches seven weeks of age.
Heartgard Plus dosages are calculated and packaged according to the dog’s weight. The recommended dosage should not be exceeded since this may lead to severe side effects including blindness and death.
Heartgard Plus is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Efficacy Claims [ http://heartgard.us.merial.com/whyheartgard/why_productcomp.asp Heartgard Plus Official Website product comparion page]

Merial claims that Heartgard Plus is the market share leader in veterinarian-dispensed monthly canine heartworm preventives. The company also claims that it is 100% effective against heartworms; that dogs greatly prefer the taste of Heartgard Plus over a competing product; and that it treats and controls more types of roundworms and hookworms than selected competing products

Customer Reviews

According to PetCareRx [http://www.petcarerx.com/pcrx/ProductPages/Dogs/SpecialProducts/Heartgard.aspx PetCare Rx Heartgard for Dogs product review page] [http://www.petcarerx.com/pcrx/ProductPages/Product.aspx?pid=10793&k=Heartgard%20For%20Cats PetCare Rx Heartgard for Cats product review page] , Heartgard Plus received 4 out of a possible 5 points from users. According to Viewpoints.com [http://www.viewpoints.com/Heartgard-Plus-Chewables-review-a3390 Viewpoints.com Heartgard for Dogs product review page] , Heartgard Plus received a rating of 4.83 out of a possible 5 points from users; 96% of users recommend the product (Heartgard Chewables for Dogs only).

References

External links

* [http://heartgard.us.merial.com/ Heartgard Plus Official Website]