Flea, tick and heartworm prevention: how not to lose the date

Ask your vet what matters where you live

Parasite protection is not one-size-fits-all, the AVMA says. The right product and dose depend on your pet’s age, species, breed, lifestyle, health and other medicines. The AVMA suggests asking your vet:

• What parasites does this product protect against?
• How often should I use or apply it?
• How long does it take to work?
• If I see a flea or tick, does that mean it is not working?
• What should I do if my pet reacts to it?
• Do we need more than one product, and how do I use them together?

Read the label, every time

The AVMA’s advice is short: read the entire label before you use the product, and always follow the directions. Give it as and when directed, never more or less than the recommended dose, and check that the weight range on the label matches your pet.

Cats are not small dogs. The AVMA is blunt about it: products labelled for dogs only must never be used on cats. In a home with both, keep the products apart and write down which pet gets which.

Watch your pet after a dose, and call your vet if you notice signs of a reaction.

Heartworm: the test before the preventive

Heartworm prevention has one extra step. The AVMA explains that pets should be checked regularly for heartworm infection, because giving the preventive to a heartworm-positive pet will not treat the infection and could cause a harmful reaction. Your vet may require a test before refilling the prescription. Ask how often your pet should be tested, and add that date to your plan too.

Set it up so the date is never lost

• Take the interval from the label or your vet, not from memory.
• Write down the date of the last dose and the date of the next one.
• Pick a moment you will notice, for example the first Saturday morning after the due date, and keep a reminder for it.
• Keep the product where you will see it on that day, out of reach of pets and children.
• Note when the box is running low, so you can reorder before the next due date.

An example. The label on Ajax’s product says once a month. The last tablet was given on 1 October. In the plan it is “Flea and tick tablet”, monthly, on the 1st at 9:00, with a reminder. Two tablets are left in the box, so the note says “Buy more before 1 December”. In January the vet wants a heartworm test before the next prescription, and that date is already in as a visit.

If a dose was late or you are unsure whether it was given, call your vet before giving another. The AVMA advises contacting your vet about missed doses rather than guessing.

When several people give it

A monthly task in a shared home is easily done twice or not at all. Agree who gives it, and mark it done in one place everyone checks first. Tell a sitter if a dose falls during your trip, and leave the exact instructions in writing.

How to keep track in Keepie

1. 1

   Add it as a Medication routine

   Use the product name and the dose from the label, and choose how often it repeats: weekly, monthly or every few days, whatever the label says.

2. 2

   Turn on a reminder

   The dose appears on Today on its day, with a reminder at the time you choose.

   How reminders work
3. 3

   Mark it done

   Mark it done on Today, or tap Given in the notification. On a shared pet, the Care Team sees who gave it and when.

4. 4

   Keep the test date

   Add the heartworm check as a vet visit with a reminder, so the test and the refill line up.