Pet Meds Blog

The most common question I receive is whether a pet should receive year round heartworm prevention. And while in many areas of the country, the actual risk of contracting heartworms is higher in the spring and summer months, because of recent global warming, and the fact that many pets travel back and forth across different areas of the country, the American Heartworm Society does recommend year round use of heartworm preventatives like Interceptor.

Another common question I often get is, “Can I break a heartworm preventative pill to save money on the quantity of pills?” Because the medicine is not equally distributed in the chewable pill, it is not recommended that heartworm preventative medicines be broken this way, and animal guardians should always follow manufacturer package recommendations regarding dosing. For those few dogs who do not like the chewable formulation of Interceptor, it is okay to pill the dog directly down the throat or mixed with something the dog will eat.

Many people will often buy one year supply of this preventative which is fine, as the expiration date is usually 18 months. It is indeed safe to give interceptor to nursing mothers, as long as the puppies are above 2.2 pounds. Side effects of Interceptor are rare and if they do occur, they typically occur within a few days, and may involve digestive, dermatologic or neurologic reactions. As with other popular heartworm preventatives, Interceptor is available only by prescription.

Read Related Posts on PetMeds Blog:

1. Heartworm Pet meds Interceptor and Heartgard Plus
2. PetMeds® Missing Heartworm Pet meds Dosage
3. PetMeds®: Heartworms in Dogs and Cats
4. PetMeds® Resistance to Heartworm Medication?
5. PetMeds® Heartworm Preventative Heartgard Plus