Dog heartworm question -

I use Drs Foster & Smith or 1-800-PetMeds. Good prices and I trust their quality. Not sure about these guys.

A number of vets match online prices, may want to check if your vet will match.

^Agree with everything OHT said.

The product you linked to is a heartworm preventative based on the ingredient moxidectin. Apparently it is widely relied upon in other countries but not so much in the U.S. According to this page -- http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_heartworm_prevention.html -- the product Proheart 6 was voluntarily off the U.S. market from 2004 to 2008 due to suspected adverse reactions in pets.

Of course any oral, injected or topical treatment can cause an adverse reaction in pets. But I might ask my vet about this product before ordering it, just to get his/her OK.

Heartworm prevention is sadly NOT cheap, I know. If it were me, I'd probably go with a product that I already have experience with and shop around for the best price on it. For me, those products are Heartgard or Sentinel.

Also, I note on that website you linked to, that if you click on the Proheart products to buy them, you're taken to an entirely different website to actually shop.

Last, I think I saw somewhere on there that they'd sell the product to you without a prescription. Which might be fine, except the reason for only being able to obtain heartworm preventative in the U.S. with a prescription is because a vet will want to test your dog for heartworms before administering a preventative. If a preventative is unknowingly administered to a dog who already has heartworms, it can cause serious complications and even death.

Ditto to the above. Buyer beware, and remember that your pets count on you to make informed decisions for them.

Don't let the vet talk you out of buying online after you've done the research. They get a cut of the meds they sell. As noted above, only if they match the cost, then I'd go with them. Veterinary charges are getting ridiculous! I'd never provide subquality care for my pets, but there are meds and veterinary services that are good quality that don't rob you blind. As historymike said, your pets count on you to make informed decisions for them, so do the research. Also, I would be very careful with Proheart 6, as noted by jmleong. It did extensive damage to pets. It is a long lasting drug. If your dog has a reaction, it can do serious damage because it remains in its system. I would stay far away from that drug. The company that manufactures it dragged its feet for a very long time with the FDA when it was ordered off the shelves years ago.

^ yeah, and when your pet has a medical emergency, call 1-800-PETMEDS, I'm sure they'll be right there to make things right.

If all you're worried about is cost, find and buy the cheapest.
If you trust your vet and believe in his treatment and care for your animals, then a couple of bucks more shouldn't be that big of a deal.
If you are paranoid and believe that your vet is scamming you, first decide why you go there in the first place, then look for another. In the meantime, I guess you could research it yourself and medicate accordingly, but I'm gonna trust my vet. Then again, I don't feel like my vet is screwing me for every cent I have.

Finally, heartworm is a serious thing. Find your own comfort level and go with it.

"If you trust your vet and believe in his treatment and care for your animals, then a couple of bucks more shouldn't be that big of a deal."

God knows vets aren't in it for the money. They are struggling like the rest of us trying to figure out how they are going to pay that $100,000 mortgage and auto loan on the Chevy.

I buy a package every year on my dog and that includes basic required shots with discounts on everything else.

Biker, you sound bitter about what a vet makes (your post is obviously sarcastic). They are doctors, and went to extensive training for these positions. For what they do they are compensated appropriately. Go get your vet license. My vet is one of the most caring and knowledgable people I know. I would not trust my pets with one I felt uncomfortable with. Please do not get a pet if you cannot afford proper care. And thats more than food and water.

"Biker, you sound bitter about what a vet makes..."

Nah. Just know what things cost at the vet's.

"My vet is one of the most caring and knowledgable people I know."

So is mine. That's how it should be.

"Please do not get a pet if you cannot afford proper care. And thats more than food and water."

I find people who say that usually can't afford to give their own pets proper care. Have you tried a goldfish? They are cheaper!

2 out of 3 responses dont even make sense, but thanks for playing.

when your pet has a medical emergency, call 1-800-PETMEDS, I'm sure they'll be right there to make things right

I believe you need a prescription from your own vet to purchase heartworm preventatives from 1-800-PETMEDS, so wouldn't your vet still handle the medical emergency?

I guess I would view using a (reputable) merchant to order a heartworm preventative for your dog as equivalent to comparing pharmacies for your own prescriptions. You still need an examination and prescription from the vet or doctor.

I've never ordered from an online pharmacy. Mostly because its convenient to grab them while I'm already at the vet. But I'd consider it, if I was ultimately getting the same product from the same manufacturer and my dog was still getting the same examination from our vet.

Dr. Foster and Smith are my go-to for my dog. I used to get everything for my rabbit from them too and my grandparents used to get everything for their various farm animals there for years.

Everyone needs to do whatever they think is best but I wouldn't even consider buying meds online for my dog any more than I'd consider buying them online for myself.

If cost is the major concern, find something else in your life you can reduce spending on and put the $$ towards meds from your trusted vet.

Whatever "cut" my vet gets on the meds they sell me is worth the piece of mind to me. They know my dog and are in the best position to determine what's best for him.

"But I'd consider it, if I was ultimately getting the same product from the same manufacturer and my dog was still getting the same examination from our vet."

That's a good point. I would never avoid my pets' examination from the vet to save money and then order my meds online. Pets need to have their routine exams.

"If cost is the major concern, find something else in your life you can reduce spending on and put the $$ towards meds from your trusted vet."

My pets' veterinary care is a priority. It's not a question about spending money on their care, but making sure costs don't spiral out of control because some vets charge a lot more money than others. I had a vet once who overcharged, which is why I found another vet. I later found out from others he had a reputation for doing that. My vet also provides discounts for multiple pets, which is very reasonable. It doesn't mean I'm cutting corners on veterinary care if he does that for me.

" buy a package every year on my dog and that includes basic required shots with discounts on everything else. "

do you buy this from your vet?