Quote Originally Posted by caseysmom
You don't necessarily have to buy heartguard, you can buy another brand of heartworm prevention, heart guard is pretty pricey. Your dog should be tested for heart worms first, starting prevenative treatment in an untested dog could lead to worse illness if heartworms are present.
I just wanted to add that you should always consult with your vet before choosing what brand to give.

Heartguard has ivermectin in it which can cause some serious side effects. It should not be given to Collies, Shetland sheepdogs, Australian shepherds, and Old English sheepdogs, though some individual animals that are not members of these sensitive breeds may also be prone to side effects.

Revolution contains selamectin, which is a closely related cousin of ivermectin. To be on the safe side it shuold also not be used on the above mentioned breeds.


You can't just give you dog the pills. You need to get he/she tested because if he/she already has it the pills won't help and your dog will die.
Yes that is true but heartworm meds are also avail only by script. and you are required to have your dog tested before putting him/her on the preventative.

So if your vet doesn't require a test chances are it's not a very reputable vet at all. And also not complying with state/government laws.

Another thing to be careful about is the place you are purchasing them from. If they don't require a script from your vet chances are it is a scam. A lot of internet drug sites that don't require scripts are selling fake drugs. Which is also against the law.