Changes

===Prevention===  

===Prevention===  

Prophylaxis of heartworm disease should be considered

Heartworm prophylaxis should be implemented in all cats and dogs living in or visiting areas in which ''Dirofilaria immitis'' is endemic. In the UK, milbemycin oxime and selamectin are licensed for the prevention of heartworm disease.

for all dogs and cats living in endemic areas during the

 

transmission period. For example, in northern Italy,

Preventive drugs kill migrating

and, therefore, prophylaxis is recommended from May to

October.

in the table below. However, only milbemycin oxime

(Program Plus; Novartis) and selamectin (Stronghold;Pfizer) are licensed in the UK for the prevention

of heartworm disease. Preventive drugs kill migrating

larvae of D immitis up to the sixth week of infection.

larvae of D immitis up to the sixth week of infection.

Therefore, they all provide a high degree of protection

Therefore, they all provide a high degree of protection