There are, on the other hand, numerous other reasons that have been proposed for deliberately choosing to skimp on heartworm control, ranging from perfectly logical to completely batty:
“Costs too much.” Medicine is expensive. Everything is, especially right now. Can’t deny that. But I can point out that getting your pet treated to remove heartworms is far more expensive than buying the monthly prevention that would have kept you both out of that situation entirely. I can furthermore point out that basic, generic-type heartworm pills do exactly the same job as the brand name. The more expensive products typically have extra properties built in, either to control additional parasites or to ease the burden of administration. So yes, an all-in-one parasite treatment or one that only needs to be given once a year will cost more, because of the extra benefits. If you can give a pill once every 30 days, though, you can reliably fend off this life-threatening parasite at a lower cost and handle your other parasite needs separately. Simply ask your vet for access to a generic product. Note: the FDA protects you here. If the product is labeled for heartworm control, it has to perform this function. The same is not true of all flea and tick medicines!
“My pet is a cat, not a dog.” Sadly, it’s possible for cats to contract heartworms also. Cats have been cleverly concealing this glitch by bringing to bear a fiercely strong immune system. It’s a double-edged sword, though: adult parasites very rarely survive to make their home in the heart, but a substantial amount of collateral damage occurs during the battle. Even though significantly fewer cases of feline heartworm infection are diagnosed (as compared to dogs), it’s arguably a much worse disease for cats. There is no cure for the presence of adult heartworms in a cat.
“My pet never goes outdoors.” Now, this is a somewhat liberal use of the word “never” when speaking of the US pet dog population. However, some cats do actually NEVER leave the house (except to go to the vet each year), and studies have been performed on them to investigate disease prevalence. It turns out that 25-30% of cats with this disease never set foot outdoors. The truth is that mosquitoes are coming into our homes all the time without our permission.
If you recognize some of this from your own thoughts or from conversation with a friend or relative, I’d like to welcome you back and help your pet get full protection. If you or someone you know has a different rationale, read on to the next piece.
Dr. M.S. Regan