Generic Heartworm Medicine

Saving Money with Generic Heartworm Medicine

In these hard times the cost our pet meds can be a real cause for concern.  Of course we shouldn't neglect their health or stop ongoing preventative treatments.  Missing a monthly heartworm medicine puts your dog or cat at real risk of contracting these hugely damaging parasite.  As you can see from the map below,heartworm disease is occurring all over the United States.  Some areas are more at risk than others but any dog can become infected.  The Heartworm Society advise all dog owners in the United States to use a reliable form of heartworm preventative.

Monthly heartworm meds work by killing any tiny immature worms picked up from a mosquito bite during the last three months.  Although some medicines will be able to back-track and destroy worms even if they have been in the animals system for longer, none can offer 100% protection unless given every single month.  Only the ivermectin based oral treatments are likely to be effective if a gap longer than a month has lapsed since your pets last tablet.  But, even these are unlikely to destroy all the parasites in your pets bloodstream.

Generic Heartworm Medicine

So, though saving money may be important, we cannot stop treating our pets for such parasites.  However, there is another option.  One the large pet stores and even vets are unlikely to promote.  The thing is for every branded heartworm medicine out there, there will be a generic Generic Heartworm Medicine too.

Just like human medicines, the large brands pay for research and development and then get top dollar for the end product.  But once the active ingredients have been used for a period of time, other manufacturers have every right to use them too.  So in the same way that you can pay top whack for branded Nurofen or  instead chose a store's own brand ibuprofen product, you can do exactly the same with the leading heartworm medicines available.  The packaging is different but the contents of each pill and most importantly, the end results (no more headache or no risk of heartworm disease) are identical.

All medicines must disclose their active ingredients and the volume of those ingredients in the finished product.  So comparing generic and brandedheartworm meds is a real doddle.  The makers of the generics are under the same rules and regulations as the brands, so you can be sure the products are as safe.

The only real difference is that generics are not allowed to look exactly the same as the brands.  So obviously the packaging will be different (often less glamorous so they save some pennies to pass on cost savings to the consumers) and the tablets may be a different colour or shape.

Whether you purchase generic or branded products ALWAYS ensure you are using one for your species and weight of animal.  The doses of ivermectin to prevent heartworm disease are tiny.  Trying to use a product designed for a larger animal puts your pet in danger of receiving a toxic dose.

Where to Buy Generic Heartworm Meds

Many pet owners purchase most of our pets medicines from our vet.  This is nice (if you can afford it) as you're supporting local business.  BUT can you afford it?  Many vets admit they cannot buy in products as cheaply as we consumers can if we look a little further afield.

There are countless online pet med sites where both branded and generic products are available at savings compared to your local vet.  But, shop around, often the biggest names offer the smallest savings.  Heck, when you're number one in google for online petmeds you get enough traffic you really don't need to offer great value for money!

Generic heartworm medicine may not be recommended by your vet.  This is not because it is no good.  It is simply because your vet will be offered 'sponsorship' deals by the various big name brands.  To help his worthy business make some money he is bound to promote those brands who offer him the best deal.  If you are still unsure ask your vet to compare the ingredients list and tell you if there is any reason why you shouldn't choose a generic brand.  There won't be.  The FDA ensure ALL drugs for pets or us, adhere to the same extremely strict rules.

Buying a generic heartworm medicine saves you money and continues your responsible pet ownership by ensuring your pets do not fall victim to this often fatal disease.