Dewormer medicine kills intestinal parasites such as hookworms and roundworms. But they do not kill heartworms. In fact, heartworms live in the blood vessels and not the intestines, so dewormers have no effect on them. Heartworm preventative is the only medicine that can prevent heartworms.
What wormer kills heartworms?
Ivermectin is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug used in humans and animals. In monthly Heartworm prevention, the dose of ivermectin is low but effective at killing Heartworm larvae.
What happens if you worm a dog with heartworm?
Heartworm preventives do not kill adult heartworms. Also, giving a heartworm preventive to a dog infected with adult heartworms may be harmful or deadly. If microfilariae are in the dog's bloodstream, the preventive may cause the microfilariae to suddenly die, triggering a shock-like reaction and possibly death.
Can a dog completely be cured of heartworms?
Heartworm antigen testing is the most reliable method of confirming that all of the adult heartworms have been eliminated. Although many dogs are antigen-negative 16 weeks after treatment, it can take longer for the antigen to be completely cleared from some dogs.
What can I give my dog to get rid of heartworms?
An injectable drug, melarsomine (brand name Immiticide®), is given to kill adult heartworms. Melarsomine kills the adult heartworms in the heart and adjacent vessels. This drug is administered in a series of injections. Your veterinarian will determine the specific injection schedule according to your dog's condition.
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