# Heartworm pill once every three months?



## xray328 (Dec 12, 2009)

I recently read an article that said you could safely give a heart worm pill just once every three months because it takes that long for the larvae to turn into adult worms and that if the pills are given anytime before the adult stage, they totally kill off any eggs, or baby worms? The article also said that the pills can stopped over the winter since heart worm is caused by mosquitos?

Any of this true?

Thanks!


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

Within 45 days of the last pill is generally accepted as the farthest out you would want to go between pills (because of the way the lifecycle of the heartworm works).

As to how many months out of the year you need to give heartworm pills, that depends on where you live. For heartworm protection you need to give the last pill AFTER the weather gets cold enough to stop the heartworm lifecycle in the mosquito. One of the advantages to giving the pills year round is the intestinal parasite protection afforded by most of the common heartworm preventives. Plus you don't have to worry about warm spells or forgetting to start back up in the spring, etc.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

....And I know with Heartguard Plus, you have to have them on it year round in order for them to guarantee the efficacy. I think "breaks" during the year negate their treatment guarantee.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

IowaGold said:


> Within 45 days of the last pill is generally accepted as the farthest out you would want to go between pills (because of the way the lifecycle of the heartworm works).


My vet says every 38 days or so... 

I would NOT go 3 months apart in the summer months. 

I do skip doses in November, December, January, and February - starting up again in March or April (depends on the weather). There may be mosquitoes out in thaws during those months, but they are pretty stupid. I figure if I can go outside in the yard without getting bit by a mosquito, my dog with his fur coat is pretty safe. Especially since he only goes out with me. 

This year especially, I didn't get my first mosquito bite until June... and I did a lot of early spring gardening outside.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Megora said:


> My vet says every 38 days or so...
> 
> I would NOT go 3 months apart in the summer months.
> 
> ...


Just because you aren't getting bitten does not mean your dogs are not. DH and I can spend the same amount of time outside and I come in covered in mosquitoe bites, he has none. Of course in Texas we have bird sized mosquitoes 12 months out of the year. Well, maybe humming bird sized, but the 12 months is true.

Oh, and they get in the house too, so if anyone says a house dog is safe they are wrong.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

mylissyk said:


> Just because you aren't getting bitten does not mean your dogs are not. DH and I can spend the same amount of time outside and I come in covered in mosquitoe bites, he has none. Of course in Texas we have bird sized mosquitoes 12 months out of the year. Well, maybe humming bird sized, but the 12 months is true.
> 
> Oh, and they get in the house too, so if anyone says a house dog is safe they are wrong.


Oh definitely, in warmer states I sure hope you are doing 12 months. :uhoh:

Mosquitoes love me. If they are outside or inside the house, they are either biting my arms or legs or buzzing my head. They and the deer flies have a schedule.

Maybe we've been lucky, as have other people in this area... but most people only do the spring/summer/fall coverage for their dogs. The only dogs I've heard of that got heartworm were those who did not get any coverage at all and were kept outside.


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

I do it all year round with both the dogs. Better to be safe than sorry. I go every 31 days.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

In the south...there is no forgiveness! It has to be given every 30 days. We have had supposively a "new" strain of HW. It is crazy how bad the mosquitoes and how bad HW disease is down here. If I lived up north, I would still give it every 30 days...just because it would be my luck that my dog would get HW being late for 5 days!


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## Our3dogs (Apr 3, 2008)

Can't believe the perfect timing for this thread. I was just thinking of calling the Vet to see if our 11 1/2 and 12 1/2 year olds really still needed to be on heart worm medication after taking it for so many years. It wasn't so much the price of the medication, but more hoping to decrease one of the medications at this point in their lives. You all just confirmed that the medication does not stay in their systems (like vaccinations) so I will continue on.


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

I do heartworm all year too - better safe than sorry!


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

All year for us as well.


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## Dr. Jaffe (Aug 5, 2011)

The lifecycle of the heartworm goes through several larval stages inside the dog after the mosquito bites. ALthough it has been proven that you can go 45 days between giving heartworm medication and still provide protection you really should give it once a month and here is why... 1. The medication in the monthly heartworm preventatives only are in the body for 24 hours before being eliminated but it is that day that they kill the L3 stage of the larva before they can mature. So although you give it every 30 days, you are really only medicating your dog ONE DAY per month. 2. the manufacturers of the heartworm preventative (Heartgard, Revolution and Interceptor) guarantee their product if you bought it from a vet, show a negative heartworm test once a year and have purchased the right amount for the number of months between purchases. So if you use Heartgard and bought it from a vet and if the months line up, they will pay any expenses associated with treating heartworm disease or hookwork/roundworms should you dog be diagnosed with them.
If you buy it online, or bought a 6-month pack 7 months ago they will not guarantee it.

Dr. Jaffe
Jaffe Animal Clinic, Boca Raton, FL 33432
www.drjaffe.com


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