Can I Give My Dog Frontline & Heartgard?

Frontline products control fleas and ticks in dogs through topical application. Heartgard products deliver heartworm disease prevention for dogs in chewable form. Merial, a global animal health company, developed and manufactures both prescription product lines.

  1. Frontline Topical Treatment

    • Frontline is applied to the area between your dog's shoulder blades by using the provided applicator. The active ingredient, fipronil, enters oil glands beneath the skin and is stored there to be continuously distributed through the hair follicles to the skin and hair for 30 days. The medicine kills ticks that transmit diseases such as Lyme disease and fleas that transmit tapeworms and cause anemia.

    Heartgard

    • Heartgard's chewable tablet contains the active ingredient ivermectin, which prevents heartworm disease by killing the tissue larvae (dilofilaria immitis) stage for 30 days after infection. Heartgard Plus also contains pyrantel to treat and control roundworms and hookworms, common internal parasites found in puppies and adult dogs.

    Concurrent Usage

    • According to Merial, since Frontline products are not "systemically active," they "have no known adverse interactions with systemic medications" such as Heartgard. Using both products assures your dog is protected against several of the most common transmittable diseases.