Does my dog's flat and roundworm medicine also treat heartworms?

This is correct that Heartgard doesn't cover whipworms. I would talk to your vet about prescribing him a dewormer for the whipworms. Depending on the type of dewormer they have available, he may need to be dewormed again in the future. Finally, since we know you have whipworms in your environment you may consider switching him to something that covers whipworms on a monthly basis. Talk to you vet about which heartworm preventatives they have available that cover whipworms (ex: trifexis, interceptor). I hope this helps!

You are quite welcome for the help! Unfortunately, the flea, tick, and worm medication does not protect against heartworms, that requires a different medication. Signs of heartworm include a dry cough, lethargy, weight loss, anorexia, difficulty breathing, bulging chest, and collapse. Your vet can do a blood test to diagnose if she does have heartworm or not. Have a great day :-)

From that description, it sounds like he may have tape worms. The heartworm test doesn't test for tapeworms (or any intestinal parasites) and the medication is heartgard wouldn't kill tapeworms. A fecal test doesn't always show the worm eggs either for this particular type of parasite. I'd recommend giving your clinic a call to see what they policies are - you may be able to pick up medications from the description alone, or they many need you to schedule an appointment. Finally, make sure Buddy is on a good flea preventative -- he got the tapeworms from eating a flea. He could definitely have just found it outside, but it's worth mentioning!

Poor pup. Roundworms are very common in puppies, because they can get infected while still in their mothers tummy (in utero) and through the mother's milk. To treat roundworms Harry just needs a broad spectrum dewormer like Pyrantel Palmoate or Fenbendazole. 1 treatment given today and then again in 2 weeks. To prevent roundworm infestations in the future Harry needs to get on a monthly heartworm preventative, which has natural intestinal dewormer in it as well. Harry will need to see a vet to get a prescription for the heartworm preventative (i.e. Heartgard, Trifexis, etc), but the intestinal dewormer can be purchased through your local pet store. Your pup should be just fine once he is treated. : )

Round worms are usually treated with pyrantel pamoate which can be used in dogs of all ages. Using a monthly heartworm prevention, like Heartgard, would protect your dogs from heartworms and intestinal parasites so you should talk to your vet about starting Heartgard every month.

You will need to go to a vet as it requires a negative heartworm test before it can be prescribed. This is a simple, fast blood-test that will let the vet know it is safe to start preventive medication. Why this is required is if your pet already has heartworms and is given the medication, it can kill the worms too quickly which can cause blockages of the blood vessels leading to potential stroke or death. Making sure your pet is negative first will ensure it is safe to administer.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is a great question! Yes, you should continue to give Kirby his monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention. The medication to kill the whipworms will not prevent heartworm or fleas/ticks and therefore he will still require the monthly preventions. Kisses to Kirby!