By: Kristi Sharpe, DVM
Have you ever forgotten to give your dog their heartworm prevention? Is your dog savvy enough to realize that his/her monthly treat is, in fact, spiked with lifesaving medicine? Does your dog have food allergies that make it difficult for you to find safe preventions? Never fear, there is a product to save both you and your pet.
Proheart 12 is a yearly injection that will prevent heartworms for the entire year. It works by slowly releasing preventative medication from little microscopic beads over the twelve month period. It is safe for most dogs and comes with surprisingly few side effects.
I have 3 dogs and am very absent minded. So, I have, on multiple occasions, forgotten their monthly preventatives. I also have a dog that can smell medicine and frequently refuses to take oral meds willingly. When I was offered to try Proheart 12 I jumped on it. To be perfectly honest, I’ll never go back to monthly oral preventions.
Let’s discuss pros and cons. The biggest pro is the most obvious one. It lasts for an entire year and you don’t have to do anything. The injection is given at the vet and you can forget about it until you get your reminder in the mail the next time it’s due. The next big benefit is cost. In most cases, Proheart 12 costs less than a year’s worth of oral heartworm prevention. It’s also an injection, so dogs with food allergies will not have any GI side effects. Last but not least, there is no concerns with Ivermectin sensitive breeds like collies.
Now we’ll move on to cons. Proheart 12 unfortunately cannot be given to dogs under a year of age. This is because it’s based on weight and many dogs continue to grow until they are 12 months old. Proheart 12 is not a good choice for sick dogs or dogs with a history of rapid weight loss. Again, this goes back to weight based dosing. Dogs with a history of vaccine reactions should also avoid Proheart 12. It is not labeled for the control of intestinal parasites like other preventatives are. However, if your dog is on ProHeart 12 and tests positive for roundworms, tapeworms or whipworms, the company will pay for an approved treatment up to $100.
All in all, I really like this product. After using it for a year in clinic we’ve had very few complaints. Almost every dog we’ve treated has tolerated it well and owners have been very happy with the product. If you’re interested in starting Proheart 12 or have any additional questions, please feel free to call or email the clinic.