When to Start Your Puppy or Kitten On A Heartworm Preventative
There’s so much to do when you first bring home your new puppy or kitten. You need to make sure they have a comfy bed, bowl, and toys, plus important first steps at the vet like their core vaccines and their microchip. One more thing to cross off your new puppy or new kitten checklist: getting started on a heartworm preventative.
Why Does My Puppy or Kitten Need Heartworm Prevention?
All dogs and cats can contract heartworm disease, a serious, sometimes fatal infection in which long worms take over the heart, lungs, and arteries. Animals can only get heartworm if they’re bitten by a mosquito that carries heartworm larvae.
Monthly heartworm prevention comes in the form of a chewable treat or a spot-on topical medication. The active ingredient eliminates any heartworm larvae that your pet may have contracted since their last dose. If the heartworm are not killed in their larvae stage, they will develop into adult heartworms and can cause serious, long-term damage to the heart and lungs, and can be fatal if left untreated.
When Can I Start My Puppy or Kitten on Heartworm Preventative?
You can start your puppy or kitten on a heartworm preventative as young as six weeks of age. It’s recommended to start by the time they are eight weeks old. So, you’ll want to make sure your veterinarian gives you a prescription for their heartworm preventative during their first wellness visit.
If your puppy or kitten is older then eight weeks old but still younger than seven months of age, and they have not yet taken their first dose of heartworm prevention, you should see your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Puppies and kittens younger than seven months do not need to be tested for heartworm before starting prevention. That’s because an animal has to have had a heartworm infection for at least six months before it will show up on a blood test.
Your veterinarian will most likely recommend a blood test about six months later, and then again in another six months to ensure an infection has not been missed. After that, your pet will be tested at every annual wellness checkup when their yearly heartworm preventative prescription is renewed.
What If My Puppy or Kitten is Over Seven Months Old?
If your puppy or kitten is over seven months old, your veterinarian will need to test for an existing heartworm infection before starting them on a preventative. They will likely recommend another test in six months, then again in another six months. After that, you can continue testing yearly at your pet’s annual wellness exam.
Keep in mind that your pet’s heartworm preventative is dosed by weight. Your pet may need to move up to a different dose by the time they’re fully grown.
Always follow your veterinarian’s instructions when giving heartworm preventative. Give it on the same day each month, and avoid skipping doses.
