Heartworm Prevention & Treatment
Preventable. Affordable. Lifesaving.
PETS Clinic offers heartworm testing, prevention, and treatment to keep your dog healthy and safe. Heartworm disease is a serious, potentially fatal condition caused by foot-long worms living in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected dogs.
Transmitted through mosquito bites, heartworms are easy to catch, often show no symptoms in early stages, and are very difficult to treat once present. The best cure for heartworms is prevention.
Heartworm preventative can be provided with any ‘wellness’ or ‘preventative’ appointment or walk-in.
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Why Prevention Matters
Heartworms can be prevented, but if not:
Heartworm disease is fatal if untreated.
Adult worms damage the heart, lungs, and other organs.
Treatment is hard on your dog, expensive, and takes months to years.
The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention for all dogs in heartworm-prone regions like Texas.
How to Prevent Heartworm Disease
Prevention is simple and affordable:
Give a monthly preventative pill year-round.
Keep outdoor areas safe by:
Reducing mosquito habitats (remove standing water).
Cutting tall weeds and grass.
Keeping trash bins sealed.
Limiting outdoor time at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
Check pets regularly for fleas and ticks.
Testing Requirements
Testing is required and crucial:
Dogs over 6 months old must be tested before starting prevention.
Annual testing is required to continue prescriptions.
Treatment Options
Option 1 – Immiticide (Available in Wichita Falls or Requires a Full-Service Vet Referral)
Fastest and most effective method — kills all adult heartworms quickly.
Administered by injection at a full-service veterinary clinic.
Risks and recovery guidelines will be discussed by your veterinarian.
Option 2 – Doxymectin
Combines Doxycycline and monthly Ivermectin heartworm prevention.
Gradually kills adult heartworms over 1–3 years.
Requires 4 visits in a 12-month period and testing at each visit.
Costs $20–$30/month for 12 months, depending on your dog’s weight.
Recommended if Option 1 is not financially or medically possible.
Option 3 – Prevention Only (Least Effective)
Uses monthly prevention to stop new infections and slow reproduction.
Adult worms die naturally over 2–6 years.
Organ and heart damage continues while worms are present.
Always better than no treatment but least recommended.
Why No Treatment is Not an Option
Left untreated, heartworms will kill your dog through slow, irreversible heart and lung damage. The final stage is painful suffocation.
If none of the above options seem possible, please speak with us — we may be able to help.
Our Nonprofit Promise
Affordable Care: We keep prevention and treatment pricing as low as possible to save more pets.
Accessible Options: We work with owners to find the safest, most affordable solution for each pet.
Community Health: Every pet protected from heartworms reduces disease spread in our area.
How to Get Started
Step 1: Schedule a heartworm test.
Step 2: Discuss prevention or treatment options with our veterinarian.
Step 3: Begin prevention or treatment immediately to protect your pet’s heart health.
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