Many parasites can infect your dog, causing a range of symptoms from severe to mild itching. While heartworm and fleas sit at the opposite ends of this spectrum, many medications are available that can prevent both with one pill. Heartworm preventative is necessary in any part of the country with mosquitoes, and flea preventative can be invaluable during the summertime. Many owners give these pills year-round to prevent problems.
-
Types of Heartworm Medication
-
Heartworm preventative is available in three forms: chewable tablets, pills and spot-ons, which are liquids squeezed onto the back between the shoulder blades. Chewable tablets are the most common form of heartworm preventative because dogs gobble them up like a treat. However, your dog may need to take the pill form if he's allergic to the ingredients used to make the pork or chicken flavoring in the tablet. Pills are usually available only through your veterinarian while some spot-on treatments are available at pet stores.
Spot-On Treatments
-
The value of spot-on treatments as opposed to the pill is that spot-on treatments often combine flea and heartworm protection where pills only provide heartworm preventative. Some owners complain that certain spot-on treatments don't work for their dog, or cause an allergic reaction, but many types are available if you find one to be ineffective. However, spot-on treatments all contain pesticides, which is a concern to some pet owners.
Additional Parasites
-
Many spot-on and pill treatments also target additional parasites. For pet owners concerned about Lyme disease, Revolution is a spot-on treatment that prevents heartworm, fleas and ticks. Interceptor and many types of pills also prevent infections by roundworm, whipworm and hookworm. However, some of these work better than others. For example, many pet pharmacists claim that Heartgard is more effective in treating and preventing hookworm because it contains ingredients more specifically targeted to hookworm.
Types of Flea Prevention
-
If you aren't concerned about mosquitoes but are having trouble keeping your dogs flea-free, there are also pills and spot on treatments that specifically target just fleas or both fleas and ticks, such as Frontline and K9 Advantix. These are usually available at pet stores and are less expensive than purchasing prescription medication from a veterinarian. There are also brands derived from a natural insecticide, such as Control or Biospot, if you are concerned about pesticides in your pet's skin.
Holistic Flea Treatment
-
If fleas are your only concern, medication is not the only answer. Many holistic sprays and shampoos are available that can repel fleas from both your dog and your house. You can also place a few drops of lavender, lemongrass, peppermint or citronella between your dog's shoulder blades in place of a spot-on treatment to repel fleas.
-