Is Heartgard being Discontinued? All dog parents must be aware of the lethal heartworm disease in dogs. It is so dangerous that it can leave the whole internal body organs damaged if not treated and diagnosed at an early stage. This is why it is suggested that dogs must be given preventive medicines and vaccinations.
This eliminates the threat of heartworm disease ever developing in dogs. For this purpose, many preventive medicines are available in the market.
The American Heartworm Society has warned old pet owners to trek necessary measures to ensure that their pets remain safe and prevent heartworm disease. It is essential to act on time before this deadly disease grips your dear Pet.
Heartgard plus is a very famous medicine developed for the exact cause. It does an all-rounder job of protecting dogs from heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms. This medicine was introduced in 1987 and was the first of its kind. It’s solved the problem of heartworm disease to a large extent.
It was a pioneer in bringing the concept of monthly preventive heartworm medicine to the market. This is why it is one of the dogs’ most popular medicines to prevent heartworm disease. But one must remember that this medicine doesn’t protect dogs from ticks and fleas.
To protect your dog from ticks and fleas, you must give your dog some extra preventive medicine. This is one shortcoming of this medicine. Heartgard is available in chewable form, so it is easily digestible for dogs.
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Are Heartgard Tablets Discontinued?
The company’s manufacturers have discontinued Heartgard medicine’s unflavoured variant. The initial production was stopped in September 2020.
The flavored variants are still available in the market, and you can easily purchase them. The unflavoured way variants have been discontinued without specifying any reason. Many pet owners preferred unflavoured variants as they had fewer chemicals.
But now that these have been discontinued, pet owners are having a hard time. Back in 2014 also, the unflavoured variant was discontinued, but later it came back in stock. So we hope the company will likely start the production of unflavoured variants soon. Till then, you can make your Pet eat flavored ones or switch to some alternative brand.
What is Heartgard?
Heartgard medicine is available in two different variants. One is the traditional Heartgard medicine, and the second is Heartgard Plus. It is available in chewable variants, which must be given monthly to the dogs.
By doing so, your dog will be immune from many diseases associated with parasites, such as heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms. These medicines are made from beef which is why dogs enjoy the taste of it. It can also be given as a treat as it doesn’t taste like medicine at all.
Heartgard is manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). This medicine effectively kills parasites because it contains Ivermectin, a macrocyclic lactone antiparasitic drug that efficiently kills heartworm larvae. It also has pyrantel, an anthelmintic (worm-killing) medicine in the tetrahydro pyrimidone that kills roundworms and hookworms.
Generally, it is recommended by vets that Heartgard plus is more effective than the average heart guard. In terms of availability, Heartgard plus is easier to find. So in all respects and terms, heart God plus is the better choice among the two variants.
Is Heartgard Safe for your Pet?
Heartgard and Heartgard Plus are considered highly safe for dogs in terms of consumption. Pregnant and breeding dogs can also consume it as it is incredibly harmless. But it is not safe for puppies less than the age of six weeks. This is because the medicine contains Ivermectin, which is considered unsafe for young puppies.
Also, genetic mutations in some dogs make them intolerant to Ivermectin. So this is why it is essential to do a patch test and an allergy test on your dog before you start making them consume this medicine.
Some commonly affected dog breeds that have shown symptoms of allergy and side effects from this medicine include collies, shelties, border collies, and Australian shepherds.
Before making your dog take a total dosage of Heartgard medication, it is advised to do an eight-hour administration test with a smaller dose. Collie-type dogs are the most vulnerable, so make sure you take professional advice from some doctor.
This medicine’s side effects in dogs include depression, ataxia, tremors, drooling, coma, and even death: vomiting and diarrhea or other common side-effects reported in dogs. If you observe search side-effects that don’t get better within 24 hours, consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Dosage
Heartgard tablet, which is in chewable form, has to be given once a month to prevent your dog from heartworms. The quantity of dose depends on the weight of your dog. They have different colored tablets for different weight ranges. The weight ranges are-
- Blue: Up to 25 pounds
- Green: 26 to 50 pounds
- Brown: 51 to 100 pounds
Dogs over a hundred pounds will get a brown tablet and a blue one hour. For example, if a dog is 110 pounds, it will be given a blue and brown pill. Most of the dogs will like the taste of this tablet. The ones that don’t like the taste of this tablet can be given this medicine mixed with food. This way, they will not have a hard time eating this tablet.
Although there are a lot of substitutes in the market for this medicine, its fan following has remained the same through the years. This is because the treatment is highly effective in what it claims. There have been hardly any negative reviews about Heartgard throughout all the years of its manufacturing and sale.
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