You need to be careful when choosing which heartworm prevention medication that you give your dog, given the seriousness of a heartworm infestation.

For example, Proheart Six, a heartworm prevention medicine released in 2001 with one injection administered every six months. Seemingly providing a worry free way of taking care of heartworm prevention twice yearly, it came under close scrutiny from the FDA in the USA after more than 5,000 reports of adverse reactions were received, including 415 deaths.

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.

Without wanting to scare any pet owners out there, it’s wise to remind people that giving any kind of dogs heartworm control can cause allergic reactions. In the worst case scenario, they might result in the death of your pet.

According to the FDA (2004), Revolution heartworm protection had reports of an average of 36 annual deaths from over 8,500 reactions. Keep in mind however, that the statistics read higher than Proheart 6, simply because the product has been on the market much longer and has been administered to many more pets. Proheart 6 has actually caused more than three times as many deaths.

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.

Interceptor heartworm protection had only 84 deaths recorded between 1995 and 2004. Ivermectin is the active ingredient in Heartgard heartworm protection, which led to an average of six deaths and 355 adverse reactions each year.

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 is not recommended for established heartworm infections, but only preventative heartworm control for dogs. Many vets still believe Proheart to be safe if properly prepared and administered, but many choose monthly heart worm prevention and treatment as a safer option. Proheart 6 was recalled in September 2004 but is still available in 2007 as a heartworm protection medicine.

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.