New 2021 Heartworm Policy

back

Due to some changes in the incidence of heartworm disease in our area and changes in the guarantees provided by the manufacturers of the heartworm preventative, it has been put upon Piney Creek Square Integrative Veterinary Medicine to make some amendments to our heartworm policy. 

For ease of testing and administration, we are now recommending the injectable product, ProHeart, for year round coverage of heartworms and managment of common intestinal parasites.

  1. Dogs starting or changing heartworm preventatives are required to have two negative heartworm tests at least 6 months apart after initiation. 
  2. With ProHeart 12, after the two initial tests and as long as there are no lapses in administration then no heartworm test is required afterward.
  3. Puppies will be provided single dose oral preventatives, based on their growing weight, through VETSOURCE - RemindMe (Convenient Home Delivery - Single Monthly Dosing - No Shipping Charges) until they are of age for the appropriate ProHeart product.
ProHeart Guarantee from the Manufacturer, ZOETIS

Heartworm Disease Guidelines


If any dog determined by a licensed veterinarian to be free of heartworm infection at the onset of treatment with ProHeart develops heartworm disease, Zoetis will provide reimbursement (up to $1000 and the acquisition cost of the heartworm treatment, melarsomine dihydrochloride) associated with the diagnosis and treatment of heartworm disease and provide a year’s supply of ProHeart.
 

Hookworms, Roundworms, Tapeworms and Whipworms 


ProHeart treats adult and larval hookworm infections existing at the time of administration. ProHeart is not effective against and does not have label indications to treat roundworm, tapeworm, or whipworm infections. However, if you are administering ProHeart and a dog tests positive for any of these parasites, Zoetis will pay the reasonable and customary costs up to $100 for an approved treatment. The veterinarian may determine the appropriate treatment.


The information herein can be referenced at these websites:
American Heartworm Society
Companion Animal Parasite Council
Heartworm Incidence - USA
Heartworm Incidence - CO
 

 

Annual testing, and a negative test result, is required for authorization of a prescription for any other heartworm preventive available through our online pharmacy partner, VETSOURCE.
  1. Because of the misuse of preventatives, in general, heartworms have become resistant to many of the older generation of heartworm medications. A negative test prior to starting ANY preventive is necessary to prevent drug resistance.
  2. Manufacturer guarantees are variable. If it is important for you to receive assistance in the treatment of your dog should he/she become positive, it is the owner’s responsibility to keep this in mind in choosing a preventative other than ProHeart.
  3. General requirements for coverage under alternative preventatives include the following:
    1. Negative heartworm test before starting any product if four months of age or older
    2. Recheck heartworm test six months after starting a new product
    3. Administered according to label directions
    4. Annual testing
    5. Guarantee is based off of a valid purchase history of each pet from a veterinary clinic or an approved online pharmacy partner, such as VETSOURCE. Products purchased though unauthorized sources will not qualify for the guarantee.
  4. If you choose to continue the May-October administration of heartworm preventative for your pet, then testing must occur no sooner than April 1 in order to have a 6 month prescription approved. You can choose any of the heartworm preventatives provided, including ProHeart6, with a negative heartworm test. There is no current heartworm preventative manufacturer that offers a guarantee for 6 months use of their product.
ProHeart is only approved for dogs. For any pet, dog or cat, that travels outside the State of Colorado throughout the year, it is strongly recommended they be on a flea and tick preventative in addition to a heartworm preventative before, and possible after, the travel time frame. 
 
Overall, changing over to ProHeart will be a very effective way to manage your dog's heartworm prevention with the convenience of once a year administration, ANY time of the year - not just in the Spring. And the amount of money spent on testing and prevention throughout a dog's life will never exceed the cost of what it would take to treat heartworm disease.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We understand there will be some clarification required by our staff to help clients make the best decision for their furry family. We welcome the opportunity to go over the options available.