Heartworm is a serious concern for pet owners, and you need to choose the heartworm prevention medication you give to your pet with care. The heartworm prevention medicine put on the market in 2001 called Proheart Six only required that your pet be injected two times within the year. At first, the heartworm prevention was believed to be a safe & easy way to administer care and prevention to pets, however the FDA of the USA intervened when reports of more than 5,000 pets became ill as a reaction from the medicine.

Of the 5,000 reported there were 415 fatalities. ProHeart 6 caused many more deaths and adverse reactions than monthly heartworm treatments, according to the FDA. Reactions to ProHeart 6 led to 138 deaths each year, while reactions to Sentinel and Heartgard heartworm protection were as few as six per year.

While our intentions are not to scare pet owners away from necessary treatment, we feel that they should know that allergic reactions can result from heartworm control. It is possible that death could be the result of the medication. Obviously this is the worst-case scenario. The FDA 2004 study showed that Revolution had a total of over 8500 adverse reactions and 36 deaths each year; the average number of reactions was about the same as for ProHeart 6, but since the latter is newer to the market, ProHeart 6 has a death rate thrice as high.

Revolution is not necessarily unsafe. The high numbers of deaths are partially due to its very widespread use, however you should still educate yourself on the facts. Only 214 negative reactions were caused by Interceptor for canines, which is eight times less than Revolution. Interceptor averages a mere nine deaths per year, compared to ProHeart Six's average of 138.

From 1995 to 2004, Interceptor heart worm protection was reported to have a mere 84 deaths throughout the entire 9 years. Reported during that time, Heartgard averaged 6 deaths from 355 adverse reactions. Heartgard chewables contain ivermectin as a heartworm protection. The parasite, flea and heartworm medication with the fewest adverse reactions and deaths is Sentinel.

From 1999 to 2004, fewer than 900 adverse reactions were caused by this heartworm prevention treatment for dogs, averaging 233 per year in comparison with 1737 reactions caused by Revolution heartworm treatment, and the total number of deaths reported was 25, or an average of 6 per year. ProHeart 6 should only be used for preventative heartworm control, and should not be used if heartworms have already become established. Monthly heartworm prevention and treatment is a popular choice, but numerous vets maintain that Proheart is safe. In 2007 Proheart 6 was still on the market as a heartworm prevention medicine despite the fact that it was recalled in September 2004.

Of course you want what is best for your pet as it is a family member, not a statistical reading, however these adverse reactions in which you have been informed of are from millions of dogs throughout the world and are considerably low. If you are concerned about your pets health, choosing prevention is the best action for you. Discuss your options with your vet and ask all the questions in which you deem necessary. The devastating effect of heartworms in dogs should not be underestimated.

Your pet can be spared pain and health problems with a simple monthly heartworm preventive medicine.

Author Rebecca Foxton can help you give your pet better health with Interceptor For Dogs. Check out her nutrition tips for pet owners, and read her Fortiflora articles on Dog Buffs.