The American Heartworm Society, Companion Animal Parasite Council, and BRVC’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. Warm winter weather conditions, outside activities, and out-of-state travel are all factors to consider.  It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to transmit heartworm infection and mosquitoes can sneak indoors where they’ll find a tasty blood meal.  In addition, it only takes one tick bite to transmit tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis and even the smallest amount of outdoor exercise for your dog exposes him or her to ticks and the diseases they carry.

Parasite experts are already reporting increases this year in the number of dogs testing positive for heartworm infection in DuPage, Will, and Cook Counties compared to last year.  One in 200 dogs tested in these 3 counties last year were positive for heartworm and one in 50 patients tested positive for tick-borne diseases in 2022.  We’re only four months into 2023 and have already treated three dogs for heartworm infection.  And, so far this year, 10 dogs tested positive and have been treated for tick-borne diseases.

Prevention is better for your pet and more cost-effective for you. Preventing heartworm infection and tick-borne diseases is easy but treatment can be difficult and is definitely more expensive.  There are frequent manufacturer’s rebates that can reduce the costs listed below by 25%-40% giving you even more reason to protect your pet from parasites year round.

Heartworm preventative costs vary depending on your pet’s weight but typically range between $10 and $16 each month.  Heartworm treatment in dogs can cost up to $1,000 or more for additional bloodwork, oral medications, radiographs (x-rays), and three rounds of in-hospital medication injections which are more than 5 times the yearly cost of the most expensive heartworm preventative.  And, although year-round feline protection is slightly more expensive at $264, it’s especially important because there’s no approved treatment for heartworm disease in cats.

Flea and tick preventative costs also vary depending on your pet’s weight but typically range between $294 and $315 for 12 months of protection.   Should your dog test positive for a tick-borne disease, additional blood testing is needed to determine the level of antibodies present, medications will be dispensed, and a six-month follow-up blood test is recommended to ensure the antibody levels have decreased.  Costs for these diagnostic tests and treatments range from $225 to $500, exceeding the expense of year-round protection for your pet.

The preventatives recommended by BRVC’s veterinarians have been proven to be safe and effective and include manufacturer’s satisfaction guarantees. All of the preventatives recommended by our doctors have been rigorously tested to make sure they are not only effective but safe for you and your pets.  In addition, each comes with a satisfaction guarantee from the manufacturer that may not be available for preventatives purchased online or in retail stores.

For example, if you purchased 12 months of Sentinel heartworm preventative from BRVC and administered the tablets monthly, the manufacturer would pay for treatment if your pet developed heartworm disease.  Similarly, if you purchased Bravecto flea and tick preventative from us 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.

Protecting your four-legged family members from heartworm and tick-borne diseases is easy and cost-effective.  Please call us at (630) 598-0600 if you have questions or need more information about year-round parasite prevention.