The American Heartworm Society, Companion Animal Parasite Council, and Burr Ridge Veterinary Clinic’s veterinarians recommend year-round heartworm and flea and tick prevention. Here are three reasons why:
- We can’t predict when or where your pet may be exposed, especially if you and your pet visit local forest preserves in Darien, Western Springs or Lemont. Your pet’s lifestyle, warmer winter weather conditions, and you and your pet’s out-of-state travel all contribute to the risk of heartworm infection, flea infestations, and the transmission of tick-borne diseases.
- Prevention is better for your pet and more cost-effective for you. The cost of annual testing and year-round heartworm preventatives ranges from $125-$200 depending upon your pet’s weight. You’ll spend five times more ($750-$1,000) to treat your dog for heartworm disease, including additional bloodwork, oral medications, radiographs (x-rays), and three rounds of in-hospital medication injections. The cost of year-round flea and tick preventatives is $185. Treatment of tick-borne diseases in dogs can range between $175 and $500 including additional bloodwork and oral medications.
- The preventatives recommended by our doctors have been proven to be safe and effective and include manufacturer’s satisfaction guarantees. Should your pet develop heartworm disease and you’ve purchased 12 months of Sentinel from BRVC and administered the tablets monthly, the manufacturer will pay for the treatment. If you purchase Bravecto from BRVC and there are effectiveness issues or your pet doesn’t like how the chew tastes, the manufacturer will refund your money. In addition, if your pet vomits within three hours of ingesting the Bravecto chew, the manufacturer will provide a free replacement chew.