Year-Round Prevention for Pets

🐾 YEAR-ROUND PREVENTION FOR PETS

❤️ Heartworms • 🪳 Fleas • 🕷️ Ticks • 🪱 Intestinal Parasites

Consistent prevention + appropriate testing = healthier pets and fewer parasite problems

Parasite prevention is an important part of your pet's preventive healthcare.

Heartworms, fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites can affect both indoor and outdoor pets.

⭐ There Isn't One "Best" Preventive

The right prevention plan depends on your pet's:

• Age
• Lifestyle
• Travel
• Outdoor exposure
• Contact with other animals
• Individual health needs

This is why there are so many choices.

Some products protect against heartworms only, while others combine heartworm prevention with protection against multiple parasites:

❤️ Heartworms
🪳 Fleas
🕷️ Ticks
🪱 Roundworms
🪱 Hookworms
🪱 Whipworms
🪱 Tapeworms

Our goal: Choose effective protection that fits your pet's needs, your routine, and your budget.

🩺 WHY DOES MY PET NEED PARASITE TESTING?

Heartworm preventives are extremely effective, but no preventive is 100% effective.

Your veterinarian may recommend:

❤️ Heartworm Testing

For dogs, annual heartworm testing is recommended even when prevention is given consistently year-round.

🪱 Fecal Testing

Fecal testing helps detect intestinal parasites that may not be covered by your pet's current preventive.

❤️ HEARTWORM PREVENTION IS ESSENTIAL

Heartworms are long, thin worms transmitted by mosquitoes.

Adult heartworms live primarily in the blood vessels of the lungs and can cause serious damage to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

⭐ For Both Dogs & Cats

Year-round heartworm prevention is an essential part of routine preventive care.

Heartworm disease is preventable—and prevention is much safer, simpler, and less expensive than treating established disease.

⚠️ Why Is Heartworm Disease Dangerous?

Heartworm disease can cause:

• Coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Exercise intolerance
• Weight loss
• Heart and lung damage
• Heart failure

⚠️ By the time symptoms appear, significant and potentially irreversible damage may already have occurred.

Don't wait for symptoms—prevention is much safer than treatment.

There is currently no approved medication that reliably eliminates adult heartworms in cats. This makes prevention especially important.

If your dog tests positive for heartworms, please see our article on heartworm treatment for dogs.

🌐 Heartworm Treatment for Dogs

🪳 FLEAS & 🕷️ TICKS

Fleas and ticks are more than an annoyance. They can:

• Cause skin disease
• Transmit infections to pets
• Transmit some diseases that can also affect people

Flea allergy is one of the most common causes of allergic skin disease in dogs and cats.

Year-round flea and tick prevention is recommended for dogs and cats that live in or travel to areas where these parasites are present.

Even indoor pets can be exposed to these. Fleas or ticks are brought into the home by people, other pets, wildlife, or the environment.

🪱 INTESTINAL PARASITES

Common intestinal parasites include:

🪱 Roundworms
🪱 Hookworms
🪱 Whipworms
🪱 Tapeworms

These parasites can cause: vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, or other health problems.

Some intestinal parasites can also infect people, especially children and individuals with weakened immune systems.

🐶 DOGS

⭐ Monthly Options

Simparica Trio® or NexGard Plus®

Protects against:

❤️ Heartworms
🪳 Fleas
🕷️ Ticks
🪱 Roundworms
🪱 Hookworms

⭐ Long-Acting Options

ProHeart 12®

Provides 12 months of heartworm prevention and also treats hookworms.

It can be combined with a flea and tick preventive such as Bravecto®, depending on your dog's needs.

🪱 When Whipworms or Tapeworms Are a Concern

Interceptor Plus®

Protects against:

❤️ Heartworms
🪱 Roundworms
🪱 Hookworms
🪱 Whipworms
🪱 Tapeworms

Additional flea and tick protection may be needed.

💰 More Budget-Friendly Options

For some pets, using separate medications can provide appropriate protection at a lower cost.

Options may include: Advantage Multi®, Heartgard®, or Interceptor Plus®, combined with flea and/or tick prevention when needed.

The goal is not to use the most expensive product—it is to provide the protection your pet actually needs.

🐱 CATS

Cats need parasite prevention too—even indoor cats. Fleas, mosquitoes, and other parasites can still find their way indoors.

⭐ Comprehensive Options

Revolution Plus®

Protects against:

❤️ Heartworms
🪳 Fleas
🕷️ Ticks
🪱 Roundworms
🪱 Hookworms

NexGard Combo®

Protects against:

❤️ Heartworms
🪳 Fleas
🕷️ Ticks
🪱 Roundworms
🪱 Hookworms
🪱 Tapeworms

Bravecto Plus®

Provides up to 2 months of protection against:

❤️ Heartworms
🪳 Fleas
🕷️ Ticks
🪱 Roundworms
🪱 Hookworms

💰 More Budget-Friendly Options

Depending on your cat's lifestyle and parasite risks, Advantage Multi® may be an appropriate option.

Your veterinarian can help determine whether your cat needs additional flea, tick, or intestinal parasite protection.

💡 WHICH PREVENTION IS BEST FOR MY PET?

If your budget is limited, ❤️ heartworm prevention should be one of your highest priorities.

Heartworm disease can cause permanent damage to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

Treating established heartworm disease is much more complicated, expensive, and risky than preventing it.

Fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites are also important to prevent, but many of these infections can be treated relatively easily if they occur.

Heartworm disease is different—prevention is far safer than treatment.

⭐ Our Priority

1. ❤️ Heartworm prevention — essential year-round protection
2. 🪳 Flea & tick prevention — based on exposure and risk
3. 🪱 Intestinal parasite prevention — based on lifestyle, risk, and fecal testing

💰 IF YOUR BUDGET IS LIMITED—DO NOT SKIP PREVENTION

Talk with your veterinarian before stopping prevention.

We can help prioritize the protection your pet needs most.

You can always ask your veterinarian for a prescription so you can:

• Compare prices
• Purchase medication from a more affordable pharmacy
• Purchase from a reputable, authorized online source

We can help find an option that provides essential protection while fitting your budget.

If you use eligible Zoetis parasite prevention products, you may be able to earn rewards that can help you save on future purchases.

🌐 Zoetis Petcare Rewards

⚠️ FORGOT OR MISSED A DOSE?

❌ Never double the next dose to “catch up” unless specifically instructed by your veterinarian.

If you forget or skip a dose, contact your veterinarian. They can provide instructions on when to restart prevention and whether additional testing is needed.

When in doubt, ask us—we're happy to help you keep your pet protected.

❓HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

We’re here to help you keep your furbaby happy, healthy, and thriving! ❤️

For additional pet health information, visit Veterinary Partner by VIN—a trusted resource with veterinarian-written articles.

🔎 Tip: Search “VIN + your question” on Google for easier results, as the website’s search feature can be a little tricky.

📞 And remember, calling us is always free!

If you have questions or concerns about your pet, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to help. 🐾