What is included in a good heartworm prevention program?
The best program for prevention of heartworm infection includes using preventatives, performing routine heartworm testing, and reducing exposure to mosquitoes. Heartworm Preventatives: There is only one heartworm preventative approved for use in cats. It contains ivermectin and is marketed as Heartgard for Cats. It is given monthly and prevents heartworm disease and controls hookworms in cats. It can be given to kittens 6 weeks of age and older. No adverse effects were found when it was used in breeding and pregnant queens. Testing: Cats should be tested before they are started on a preventative, but experts do not agree on how often a cat that is on a preventative should be tested. If you recall, the best serologic test to use in cats is the antibody test. This test will be positive even if only one male worm is present. But the rate of false positive test results is high (one in every 200 tests). A positive antibody test in a cat could mean the cat has adult worms. It can also mean t
