At What Age To Puppies Start Heartworm Medicine?

It is best to consult your vet because the heartworm prevention medication age for a puppy can depend on the weight and breed of your dog and the type of product
being used, it can be as early as 6 weeks of age but could be around 6 months. You will get a prescription from your vet, usually of a chewable pill and this
need to be administered once a month or, more rarely daily.

Heartworm disease is one of the most dangerous illnesses that can harm your dog so it is important to make the right choice. These worms can interfere with blood vessels and block the flow of blood, potentially making it difficult to breathe even while resting and can eventually be fatal. So heartworm medication is useful for killing the larvae of the worms and preventing the spread of worms themselves, although hopefully if you get them early enough this will not be an issue.

These worms can be contracted simply from a mosquito bite, the larvae is transmitted and gets into the bloodstream. Growing into actual heartworms they attack the heart and can become deadly. It is important to use medication early because often by the time symptoms show up, and they may not, it can already be too late or very difficult to treat.

The heartworms are not transferred from dog to dog but directly but through a intermediate host which is mosquito. The
heartworms can  be tested after 6 months of transmission.
The test for the heartworms should be conducted at
the age of 6-7 months. Puppies can be given preventive medicines at the
age of 8 weeks and blood test at 7 month age.
Yearly test of heartworms is also necessary. If your dog is tested positive for heartworm then its treatment is completed in 2 stages. In first stage, medicine like Immiticide is given for 2 days with one dose each day to kill adult worms.  Then followed by rest of 3-4 weeks. Once daily medicine for one week is given to kill microfilariae followed by blood test. If microfilariae are still present then treatment is again started fro one week.

5 or 6months

Your vet will typically prescribe them to you for your dog starting around 4 to 5 months of age, after they have tested your pup to make sure they do not have heartworm.

It depends upon the product-most are safe for puppies 6-8 weeks and older. Usually a puppy starts heartworm preventative at the first puppy vaccination visit that occurs at 6-8 weeks of age. You will need to get the preventative from your veterinarian who will instruct you on product safety.