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Sentinel & Interceptor Are The Safest Heartworm Preventatives |
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Written by Rebecca Foxton
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 |
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Heartworm is a serious concern for pet owners, and you need to choose the heartworm prevention medication you give to your pet with care.
by RebeccaFoxton
Heartworm is a serious concern for pet owners, and you need to choose the heartworm prevention medication you give to your pet with care.
The heartworm prevention medicine put on the market in 2001 called Proheart Six only required that your pet be injected two times within the year. At first, the heartworm prevention was believed to be a safe & easy way to administer care and prevention to pets, however the FDA of the USA intervened when reports of more than 5,000 pets became ill as a reaction from the medicine. Of the 5,000 reported there were 415 fatalities.
ProHeart 6 caused many more deaths and adverse reactions than monthly heartworm treatments, according to the FDA. Reactions to ProHeart 6 led to 138 deaths each year, while reactions to Sentinel and Heartgard heartworm protection were as few as six per year.
As with most all medications, the possibility of an allergic reaction from the heartworm control is present and could cause death of the pet.
Here are the facts from the 2004 FDA source: Revolution heartworm protection averaged 36 deaths a year and more than eight and a half thousand reactions, so although the number of reactions was almost twice that of Proheart 6, the drug has been on the market longer so the average number of reactions was similar to Proheart 6, but the death rate of Proheart 6 was over three times as many.
Revolution is not necessarily unsafe. The high numbers of deaths are partially due to its very widespread use, however you should still educate yourself on the facts. Only 214 negative reactions were caused by Interceptor for canines, which is eight times less than Revolution. Interceptor averages a mere nine deaths per year, compared to ProHeart Six's average of 138.
Indeed between 1995 and 2004 only 84 deaths were recorded for Interceptor heart worm protection. Heartgard, which uses ivermectin for heartworm protection in its Heartgard chewables, had an average of 355 reactions and 6 deaths.
Causing the very least amount of allergic reactions or deaths was Sentinel, a flea, parasite and heartworm protection medication. Statistics show that information gathered in the years of 1999 through 2004 that Sentinel heartworm prevention for dogs resulted in 900 reactions which is an average of 233 as opposed to Revolution heartworm treatment for dogs which had 1,737 reactions with a total of 25 deaths averaging to be 6 annually.
ProHeart 6 should only be used for preventative heartworm control, and should not be used if heartworms have already become established. Monthly heartworm prevention and treatment is a popular choice, but numerous vets maintain that Proheart is safe. In 2007 Proheart 6 was still on the market as a heartworm prevention medicine despite the fact that it was recalled in September 2004.
Of course you want what is best for your pet as it is a family member, not a statistical reading, however these adverse reactions in which you have been informed of are from millions of dogs throughout the world and are considerably low. If you are concerned about your pets health, choosing prevention is the best action for you. Discuss your options with your vet and ask all the questions in which you deem necessary.
The devastating effect of heartworms in dogs should not be underestimated. Your pet can be spared pain and health problems with a simple monthly heartworm preventive medicine.
About the Author:
Author Rebecca Foxton can help you give your pet brilliant health with Interceptor Flavor Tabs. For an excellent source of nutrition tips for pet owners, visit her Forti Flora article series on Dog Buffs. |
