The following adverse reactions have been reported following the use of HEARTGARD Plus chews: depression/lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, mydriasis, ataxia, staggering, convulsions, and hypersalivation.

While Heartgard Plus and Heartgard for dogs may sound similar, there is a fundamental difference between the two. While Heartgard offers protection against heartworm disease alone, Heartgard Plus tablets are effective against three types of worms, including heartworm, roundworm, and hookworm.

Heartworm treatment is expensive due to several factors: Heartworm medications are relatively new, and their high price is attributed to research and development costs. Moreover, the medication is often imported, making it more expensive to obtain.

Heartgard Plus Chewables are given monthly and require a prescription from your veterinarian. Heartgard Plus Chewables contain ivermectin, a broad-spectrum antiparasitic medication used to prevent heartworms. They also contain Pyrantel Pamoate, an anthelminthic, used to prevent roundworms and hookworms.

Most of the monthly heartworm medicines have a safety factor of at least 15 days of protection if a dose is missed. This means that if you're just a week or two late, your pet is likely still within that window of protection and would be unlikely to become infected during that time.

The following adverse reactions have been reported following the use of HEARTGARD: Depression/lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, mydriasis, ataxia, staggering, convulsions and hypersalivation.

HeartGard30 PLUS protects your dog from heartworm disease and controls roundworm and hookworm, however it does not treat or control whipworm or tapeworm. If control of whipworm or tapeworm is required then an allwormer such as ParaGard® can be added to your deworming program.

monthly intervals HEARTGARD Plus should be given at monthly intervals during the period of the year when mosquitoes (vectors), potentially carrying infective heartworm larvae, are active. The initial dose must be given within a month (30 days) after the dog's first exposure to mosquitoes.

Tri-Heart Plus If you are concerned about the cost of your pet's heartworm preventative, you will be pleased to know that there is a budget-friendly option. Tri-Heart Plus is typically found to be around 20% cheaper than HeartGard Plus which is the nearest competitor to this product.

Heartgard Plus Chewables for Dogs Here's why buying from online pet stores is more cost effective. All it takes is a quick online search to find that the pet medication your veterinarian just wrote you a prescription for is drastically cheaper at online pet stores than purchasing the medication at his or her office.

Although it may be disappointing that there are no over-the-counter treatments available, the reason for this is an important one – your dog should only begin treatment with a heartworm preventative medicine when a negative heartworm test has been confirmed by your veterinarian.

If you forget a month of preventative, make sure to give the next 2 doses on time to "catch up" for that missed month. If you miss several months in a row, you should give your vet a call for advice on when to plan for the next heartworm test and how to get started back on preventatives.

The American Heartworm Society has recommended year-round heartworm protection, without missing a dose. A missed heartworm pill leaves your pet exposed to becoming infected, which can happen even in winter.

So, the top-rated, most-trusted and highly-effective preventive medicines for heartworms are:

1. Heartgard Plus. Heartgard Plus is the top choice for a heartworm preventive.
2. Iverhart Plus for Dogs.
3. Tri-Heart Plus.
4. Advantage Multi.
5. Proheart.

Dogs can fall victim to heartworm even if they are on a regimen of specialized preventative drugs.

Heartworm preventatives are highly effective, but dogs can still become infected. If you miss just one dose of your monthly medication – or give it late – it can leave your dog unprotected.