Heartworm Prevention for Dogs & Cats
Year-round protection against deadly heartworm disease.
Heartworm Disease Is Serious and Preventable
Heartworm disease is one of the most dangerous and preventable conditions affecting dogs and cats. Spread through mosquito bites, heartworms live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels, causing severe damage over time.
Heartworm disease is fatal if left untreated. Treatment for dogs is expensive, physically demanding, and carries serious health risks. That’s why consistent heartworm prevention is one of the most important things you can do for your pet’s long-term health.
Even indoor pets are at risk since mosquitoes can easily get inside homes through doors, windows, and garages.
Why Heartworm Prevention Matters
Heartworms grow and multiply inside the body, eventually damaging the heart, lungs, and circulation. In dogs, untreated heartworm disease leads to heart failure, lung disease, severe breathing problems, and death.
Cats are also at risk for heartworm disease, even though it is less common than in dogs. Heartworm disease in cats can cause serious respiratory disease, vomiting, collapse, and in some cases, sudden death. Unlike dogs, there is no approved treatment to eliminate heartworms in cats, making prevention especially important.
Heartworm treatment for dogs can cost thousands of dollars and requires months of strict activity restriction during recovery. The treatment process itself can be physically demanding, which is why prevention remains the safest, easiest, and most effective option.
Benefits of heartworm prevention include:
- Protection against life-threatening heartworm disease
- Reduced risk of heart and lung damage
- Avoidance of costly heartworm treatment
- Year-round mosquito-borne parasite protection
- Long-term health and greater peace of mind for pet parents
Our Recommended Heartworm Prevention Approach
At PetVet365, we believe prevention should feel simple and easy to stay consistent with. For many dogs, we recommend the ProHeart® injection, a long-acting heartworm preventive that provides protection for up to 12 months with a single veterinary-administered injection. Long-acting heartworm prevention helps remove the risk of missed doses and keeps dogs protected year-round without the stress of remembering monthly medication.
We also offer additional prevention options based on your pet’s lifestyle, age, and medical needs, including:
- Monthly heartworm prevention chewables
- Combination flea, tick, and heartworm preventives
- Long-acting injectable heartworm prevention
Because we know your pet and follow their care over time, we can recommend the safest and most effective prevention plan for them.
Heartworm Testing & Preventive Care
Routine heartworm testing is an important part of your pet’s preventive care plan. Annual testing helps confirm your pet’s prevention is working properly and allows for earlier detection if exposure occurs. Combined with regular wellness exams and parasite prevention, heartworm prevention plays an important role in protecting your pet’s long-term health and quality of life.
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