Heartworm prevention??

I have a 3 year old Beagle, and I've never really had her on any heartworm prevention,but we went to the vet today and the doc says he strongly recomends putting her on some because I live in an area that has lots of mosquitos because of the warm/moist air. Am I going to be able to buy some at like walmart or somewhere like that, or is that something I would need to buy elsewhere(like a website or vets office)? Does anyone have any recomendations on places to go for some cheaper ones(because the kind I've seen are pretty pricey) or what kind I should use? Thanks to anyone who can help me!!

Heartworm prevention??
First of all, if you're in a heartworm endemic area, she should have a heartworm test done before your dog goes on any medication for prevention. The new meds rarely kill the dog with heartworm infection any more but can still cause her to be quite sick. There are pet stores out there that sell products that may claim to prevent heartworm, but they won't. The FDA approves only certain companies to use the effective medicines that will prevent heartworm, and I'm sorry to say, you'll need to get them from the vet. Yes, they can be pricey, but if you've ever seen a dogs heart full of long, stringy white worms ( and I do mean FULL!), then you won't begrudge the cost. I know there are some online companies that distribute veterinary meds, but just make sure it's the same medication as the stuff at the vet!


You might also consider looking into pet insurance; they may cover some expenses like that.
Reply:The best thing to do is get it from your vet. I use heart guard for my dog.
Reply:well, theres a kind called Prevention thats its a liquid that you simply put on the dogs skin. you move the fur over, exposing the skin and pour the little bit of liquid on. what happens then is it gets absorbed in and it works well!


its better than a pill, i think anyways.


you just cant get it on your own skin or touch the dog's back on that spot for half an hour.





good luck!:)
Reply:hopefully they tested her and it was neg. try 1800 petmeds. some places price match. you will need your vet to write a prescription. your should have your dog on heartworm prevention all year all it takes is 1 mosquito. the prevention is ALOT cheaper then heartworm treatment.


i dont understand why people get pets if they dont want to put them on prevention or vaccinate. because its "pretty pricey" i just dont get it.
Reply:You'll need a vets prescription to buy a heartworm preventative. I get my dogs stuff online from the Doctor Foster and Smith's website. I've found they're generally cheaper than my vet can offer. Jeffers is another store that offers dog stuff. Both have catalogs they'll mail to you as well. I buy most of my pets stuff from these two places because they're so much cheaper than Petco or other pet stores(even with the shipping). I use the "Heartgard" chewable for my dogs.
Reply:yeah your going to have to go to vet for HWorm meds. Its a prescription. But your going to have to get a HWorm Test first to make sure your dog doesn't have any HWorms already. (which requires them poking your dog and taking blood, and it has immediate results like in 10 min. at a regular vet)(I use a low cost vet clinic that comes to a Petco Pet Store in my area and the bloodwork has to be sent out to a lab, but its worth it because the test and the meds are cheaper) Its also recommended that you get a new test every year just to make sure the meds are still working, and your dog hasn't gotten any HWorms. Please Get em' tested! Your dog will live longer, and be more healthy.
Reply:I would strongly recommend purchasing heartworm prevention from your veterinarian.
Reply:You can buy the exact same meds as the vet online for about 1/2 the cost. First find out what kind your vet recommends...and then try petedge.com for some serious deals.





Definitely get your dog tested and definitely start a prevention routine. When we adopted our dog, she had heartworm-- and it's not a pleasant experience to get rid of it. It involves costly treatment and many weeks of "bedrest" for the dogs, which is hard to enforce. It's definitely worth it to avoid this with a simple once-a-month treatment.
Reply:get it from your vet or go online and get it from petmeds or something. it may be cheaper in the long run to do that. wherever you get it, just get it. because the cost of heartworm treatment will totally outweigh what you pay in prevention
Reply:for this just find some everyday worming medicine if you a have a krogers i know it is eight dollars there and it so much for everypound every couple of weaks i would give him 3 doses of it and not worry for a couple of months and just give him 1 dose every 3 months but do 3 at first the very first time this is going to sound weird but an old person taught me this and i have done it and it works until you get the meds raw hamburger find some cigarette toacco or scoal make sure you wet the stuff and wrap it in the hamburger just let the dog eat it but make sure he does eat you may need to force him some but he needs to eat it hope this helps
Reply:Heartworm meds are by prescription only.While they may seem expensive they are a whole lot cheaper then treating a dog for heartworm disease.





OTC products aren't a good idea on any level..most are ineffective and are also very dangerous to your pet.





There are a few different kinds and your vet should be the one to prescribe the particular one for your dog. He knows your dog best...people on the net don't.
Reply:You can't buy it at wal mart but you can get it from your vet or if you can do it and your vet says that it's okay there is a ad on tv for that sells stuff like heartguard and stuff like that as long as you have a perscription for the product from you vet.
Reply:awww...sad story. my friend's piano teacher's dog has heartworms.
Reply:Why didnt the vet give you something for heartworms.Sounds like you need a new vet.