Heartworm Preventives
The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round administration of medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent heartworm infection. Currently available preventives are listed below; as new products become available, updates will be posted at heartwormsociety.org. Consult the appropriate manufacturer for minimum age/weight, use during breeding/lactation, or other health requirements for product usage.
Scroll down for feline and ferret preventives.
Preventives for Dogs
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Dirofilaria immitis |
Other Parasites Treated in Addition to Heartworm |
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Drug |
Trade Name(s) |
Tissue Stages (Larvae) |
Circulating Microfilariae |
Fleas |
Ticks |
Hookworms |
Roundworms |
Whipworms |
Tapeworms |
Ear Mites |
Mange Mites |
Minimum |
Safe to |
Food |
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Oral Administration (monthly tablets and chews) |
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Ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate |
HEARTGARD® Plus (Boehringer Ingelheim) |
X |
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Xa |
Xb |
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6 weeks/ |
Yes |
Beef |
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Iverhart Plus® (Virbac) |
X |
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Xa |
Xb |
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Pork Liver |
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Ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate + praziquantel |
Iverhart Max® (Virbac) |
X |
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Xa |
Xb |
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Xh |
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8 weeks/ |
Not |
Pork liver |
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Milbemycin oxime |
Interceptor® (Elanco) |
X |
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Xc |
Xb |
Xd |
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4 weeks/ |
Yes |
Beef |
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Milbemycin oxime + praziquantel |
Interceptor® Plus (Elanco) |
X |
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Xc |
Xb |
Xd |
Xf |
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6 weeks/ |
Not |
Chicken |
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Milbemycin oxime + lufenuron |
Sentinel® Flavor Tabs (Merck) |
X |
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Xj |
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Xc |
Xb |
Xd |
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6 weeks/ |
Yes |
Artificial beef |
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Milbemycin oxime + lufenuron + praziquantel |
Sentinel® Spectrum® (Merck) |
X |
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Xj |
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Xc |
Xb |
Xd |
Xf |
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6 weeks/ |
Not |
Beef |
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Milbemycin oxime + spinosad |
Trifexis® (Elanco) |
X |
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Xn |
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Xc |
Xb |
Xd |
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8 weeks/ |
Use with |
Artificial beef |
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Moxidectin + afoxolaner + pyrantel |
NEXGARD® PLUS (Boehringer Ingelheim) |
X |
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Xn |
X12 |
Xa |
Xb |
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8 weeks/ |
Not |
None |
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Moxidectin + sarolaner + pyrantel pamoate |
Simparica® Trio (Zoetis) |
X |
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Xk |
X7 |
Xm |
Xb |
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8 weeks/ |
Not |
Pork |
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Moxidectin + lotilaner + praziquantel + pyrantel |
Credelio QuattroTM (Elanco) |
X |
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Xn |
X4 |
X10 |
Xb |
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X11 |
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8 weeks/ |
Not |
Meat allergen free |
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Injectable Administration (every 6 or 12 months) | ||||||||||||||||
Moxidectin |
ProHeart® 6 (Zoetis) |
X |
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Xo |
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6 months/ |
Yes |
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ProHeart® 12 (Zoetis) |
X |
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Xo |
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12 months/ |
Yes |
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Topical Administration (monthly spot-on) |
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Moxidectin + imidacloprid |
Advantage Multi® (Elanco) |
X |
X |
Xn |
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Xp |
Xq |
Xd |
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Xr |
7 weeks/ |
Not Evaluated |
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Selamectin |
Revolution®(Zoetis) |
X |
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Xz |
X1 |
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Xu |
Xr |
6 weeks/ |
Yes |
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Preventives for Cats
|
Dirofilaria immitis |
Other Parasites Treated in Addition to Heartworm |
| |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drug |
Trade Name(s) |
Tissue Stages (Larvae) |
Circulating Microfilariae |
Fleas |
Ticks |
Hookworms |
Roundworms |
Tapeworms |
Ear Mites |
Minimum |
Safe to |
Food |
Oral Administration (monthly tablets and chews) | ||||||||||||
Milbemycin oxime |
Interceptor® (Elanco) |
X |
|
|
|
Xc |
Xe |
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6 weeks/ |
Not |
Beef |
Topical Administration (monthly spot-on; Bravecto PLUS is every 2 months) | ||||||||||||
Moxidectin + imidacloprid |
Advantage Multi® (Elanco) |
X |
|
Xn |
|
Xs |
Xt |
|
Xu |
9 weeks/ |
Not |
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Moxidectin + fluralaner |
Bravecto® PLUS (Merck) |
X |
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Xn |
Xv |
Xs |
Xt |
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6 months/ |
Not |
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Esafoxolaner + eprinomectin + praziquantel |
NEXGARD® COMBO |
X |
|
Xn |
X4 |
Xg |
Xe |
X5 |
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8 weeks/ |
Not |
|
Selamectin |
Revolution® (Zoetis) |
X |
|
Xk |
|
Xm |
Xe |
|
Xu |
8 weeks/ |
Yes |
|
Selamectin + sarolaner |
Revolution® Plus (Zoetis) |
X |
|
Xk |
X2 |
Xm |
Xe |
X8 |
Xu |
8 weeks/ |
Not |
Preventives for Ferrets
Dirofilaria immitis | Other Parasites Treated in Addition to Heartworm | ||||||||||
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Drug | Trade Name(s) | Tissue Stages (Larvae) | Circulating Microfilariae | Fleas | Ticks | Hookworms | Roundworms | Tapeworms | Ear Mites | Minimum Age/ Weight | Safe to Use During Breeding/ Lactation |
Topical Administration (monthly spot-on) | |||||||||||
Moxidectin + imidacloprid |
Advantage Multi® (Elanco) |
X | Xn | 2 lbs | Not Evaluated |
a - Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala, A. braziliense; b - Ascarids (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina); c - Adult Ancylostoma caninum; d - Trichuris vulpis; e- Toxocara cati; f - Taenia pisiformis, Echinococcus multilocularis, E. granulosus, Dipylidium caninum; g - Adult & immature hookworms (Ancylostoma tubaeforme, A. braziliense); h - D. caninum, T. pisiformis; i - Adult Ancylostoma tubaeforme; j - Prevention and control of flea populations (Ctenocephalides felis); k - Treatment of flea infestations (C. felis and C. canis); l - Treatment of tick infestations, with immediate & persistent tick killing activity for 5 weeks against Ixodes hexagonus, I. ricinus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus & for 4 weeks against Dermacentor reticulatus; m - A. caninum L4 larvae, immature adults (L5) and adults; U. stenocephala adults; n - Kills adult fleas; prevention & treatment of flea infestations (C. felis); o - Larval and adult A. caninum & U. stenocephala; p - Adult, immature adult, & fourth-stage larvae (L4) of A. caninum and U. stenocephala; q - Adult T. leonina & adult & L4 of T. canis; r - Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis; s - Adult, immature adult, & L4 of A. tubaeforme; t - Adult, immature adult, & L4 of T. cati; u - Otodectes cynotis; v - Control of tick infestations due to I. scapularis, D. variabilis, Haemaphysalis longicornis; w - Adult and L4 A. tubaeforme, adult A. braziliense; x - Adult and L4 T. cati; y - Adult D. caninum, E. multilocularis; z - Kills adult fleas & prevents flea eggs from hatching for 1 month; prevention & control of C. felis infestation; 1 - Control of tick infestations due to D. variabilis; 2 - Control of tick infestations due to I. scapularis, A. maculatum, D. variabilis; 3 - Adult D. caninum and E. multilocularis; 4 - Treatment and control of I. scapularis, R. sanguineus, D. variabilis, and A. americanum infestations for one month in dogs and puppies 8 weeks of age and older, weighing >4 pounds; 5 - D. caninum; 6 - Treatment and control of I. scapularis, R. sanguineous, D. variabilis, and A. americanum infestations for one month; 7 - A. americanum, A. maculatum. D. variabilis, I. Scapularis, R. sanguineus, Haemaphysalis longicornis; 8 - Prevention of Dipylidium caninum (tapeworm) infections as a direct result of killing Ctenocephalides felis vector fleas on the treated cat; 9 - Prevention of angiostrongylosis by reduction of the level of infection with immature adult (L5) and adult stages of Angiostrongylus vasorum (lungworm) with monthly administration; 10 - adult U. stenocephala; 11 - D. caninum, T. pisiformis, and E. granulosus; 12 - I. scapularis, R. sanguineus, D. variabilis, A. americanum, and H. longicornis.
© 2025 American Heartworm Society | PO Box 1352 | Holly Springs, NC 27540 | E-mail: info@heartwormsociety.org REV 5/15/2025