Heartworm Prevention:
Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm transmitted by mosquitoes that causes damage to the heart, lungs, and arteries in animals. Year round heartworm preventatives are recommended for all dogs. The heartworm prevention that we carry at Potlatch Vet Clinic is called Interceptor Plus. Interceptor Plus is an oral pill that dogs take by mouth once a month. This product also contains a broad spectrum dewormer for prevention/treatment of gastrointestinal parasites (i.e. tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, etc). Yearly heartworm testing is recommended for all dogs, even those on year round preventatives, to ensure that they are not infected with heartworms.

The American Heartworm Society has a lot of great information on heartworms and heartworm disease in dogs if you are interested in knowing more. Heartworm disease is less prevalent in the Pacific Northwest than it is in the Southern United States, however, there is heartworm disease here in Idaho.

Deworming:
Yearly or more frequent deworming or fecal checks is recommended for all dogs because gastrointestinal parasites can be acquired from the environment and many are zoonotic to humans (transmissible to humans). One option is to bring in a fecal sample to your dog’s next exam and at

Potlatch Vet Clinic we run a fecal test in the clinic that checks for eggs (or ova) of many of the common gastrointestinal parasites that dogs can acquire.

For deworming medication options, Interceptor Plus (heartworm prevention) contains a broad spectrum dewormer as well and is a great option for monthly deworming. For dogs not on Interceptor Plus monthly, there are other deworming options that we carry at Potlatch Vet Clinic. Drontal Plus is a broad spectrum dewormer that treats roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and other gastrointestinal parasites. We also carry other deworming products such as pyrantel (Strongid) and fenbendazole.

Flea/Tick Prevention:
Flea and tick prevention is recommended for all dogs as we have both of these parasites in the Pacific Northwest. Late spring, summer, and early fall have the highest tick densities in this area. Flea and tick prevention is available in two forms here at Potlach Vet Clinic: a topical monthly ointment that is placed along the dog’s back or an oral pill that is given monthly or every 3-4 months depending on the brand. At Potlatch Vet Clinic we carry Bravecto as our oral pill flea/tick prevention option and it works for 3-4 months, however, dogs must be 6 months or older to receive Bravecto. We also carry Frontline

Gold and Vectra 3D as our topical monthly flea/tick prevention, these are both ointments that are placed along a dog’s back once a month, and can be applied to puppies as young as 8 weeks. Vectra 3D also prevents lice, mites, biting flies, and mosquitoes; however, it is important to keep dogs away from cats for the first 24-48 hours after application of Vectra 3D, since this medication is toxic to cats.