Heartgard Plus is by far the most popular heartworm medicine on the market for dogs today. There are alternatives, though, whether your dog has adverse reactions to Heartgard Plus, or you need to find a cheaper option.
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Iverhart
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Iverhart is the number one generic alternative to Heartgard Plus. Usually sold for a significant discount, you can't go wrong with Iverhart. The active ingredients are exactly the same as those found in Heartgard Plus.
Interceptor
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Although these are slightly more expensive than Heartgard Plus, Interceptor chewables also control adult hookworms, and removes roundworm and whipworm infections. The price isn't significantly higher than Heartgard Plus, so the additional benefits may prove quite cost effective.
Sentinel
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Sentinel is another great alternative to Heartgard Plus. Sentinel adds the additional medicines of Interceptor and also has the benefit of adding a flea preventive, which kills flea eggs so that they don't hatch and become adults.
The flea preventive in Sentinel does not kill adult fleas. It merely kills eggs and larvae so that they don't become adults. You'll still have to give your dog a flea bath to get rid of existing fleas.
Ivermectin
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Ivermectin is actually the active ingredient in all of the above Heartgard Plus alternatives. You can actually buy Ivermectin by itself, and it's cheaper than any of the alternatives. Since it doesn't provide the additional medicines to remove other types of worms, it is much cheaper.
A word to the wise. If you purchase Ivermectin at a pet supply store, it often comes in dosages that you'll have to measure yourself. Make sure this measurement is exact, or you risk serious injury to your dog.
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