Puppies are at risk of Heartworm infection from birth as it is spread by mosquito bite, and the warm and less haired bodies of pups are attractive to mozzies!
The only way of ensuring that a new puppy is free of Heartworm infection at 3 months of age, is to give it a Proheart SR-12 injection between 12 and 13 weeks of age. Proheart SR-12 injection is a Once-A-Year injection in adult dogs, but must be given as a course of two injections in puppies. Proheart SR-12 injection is advised:
- First Proheart SR-12 injection at 3 month (12 to 13 weeks) of age.
-
Second Proheart injection at 6 to 7 months of age (usually given at
the same time as desexing) but can be given as late as 9 months of age. -
Third Proheart injection is given with your puppy's first Annual C5
vaccination (usually around 14 to 15 months of age - dont'worry, a
reminder letter is sent to you so you don't forget!). - Once-A-Year Proheart SR-12 injections are then given for the rest of your dog's life.
A HUGE benefit of starting your puppy on Proheart injections at 3
months of age is that the 3 month 'reach-back' effect means that your
puppy CANNOT have Hearworm infection once this injection is given. This
ALSO means that your puppy does not have to have the Heartworm detection
blood test advised 6 to 7 months after puppies start on ANY of the
monthly preventatives - this is a great cost saving, as well as
peace-of-mind.
Puppys that have the Proheart Injection are then elligible to (well... the owners are!) purchase Frontline PLUS (6 pack) for Flea treatment or prevention, at COST PRICE (See our CitiPAWS Club information as owners of vaccinated pups also receive cost price puppy diets!)
Proheart Injections are also cheaper or a similar price to the
cheaper monthly tablets or Heartworm chewies, and are under HALF the
price of the monthly Spot-Ons eg Revolution, Advocate, and half the price of Sentinel tablets.
IF your puppy has or gets a flea, THEN treat as necessary in line with our recommendations.
The expensive monthly treatments also treat most, BUT NOT ALL, intestinal worms. We advise a stool/faeces parasite test at 16 weeks of age and then every 6 months repeat this test. You do not need to treat for worms if they are not present.
So by using the Proheart injections you not only save money, and it is easier
(...you won't forget your puppy's monthly treatment, and requiring
FURTHER heartworm blood tests when / if you do forget!!!), but you also
are not applying unnecessary chemicals to your puppy IF it doesn't have
fleas and doesn't need worming! This has become a major concern for many puppy owners.