Heartworm Prevention in Fishers, IN, From Your Local Vet

Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Fishers is a vet in Fishers, IN, that helps dogs and cats stay free of heartworm. Heartworm is a parasite spread by mosquito bites. The worms grow in the heart and lungs. Prevention is a monthly chew, a monthly topical, or (for dogs) a long-acting shot.

Give it all year, with no gaps.

Call (463) 208-4426 or ask about prevention at your next visit.

How do dogs and cats get heartworm?

A mosquito bites an infected animal, such as a dog, coyote or fox, and picks up tiny baby worms. When it bites your pet, it passes them on. Over about six months, the larvae grow into foot-long worms that live in the heart and the big blood vessels of the lungs. Dogs can carry dozens. Cats usually have just a few, but even one can cause serious breathing problems, and there is no approved drug to clear heartworm from a cat.

Do I need prevention in winter?

Yes. A warm winter week can bring mosquitoes out. Some survive in garages and houses. Monthly prevention also works backward: it clears young larvae picked up in the month before. Stopping in November and restarting in April is how doses get forgotten. The vet at Petfolk Fishers can set up reminders in the Petfolk app.

What kinds of prevention are there?

At Petfolk Fishers, the vet will go over the options for your pet:

• Monthly chews for dogs: many also cover fleas, ticks and some intestinal worms in one tablet.

• Monthly topicals for cats: a liquid placed on the skin at the back of the neck. Many also cover fleas and ear mites.

• A long-acting shot for dogs: given at the clinic, so there's nothing to remember each month.

Across Petfolk, 85% of dog parasite-prevention purchases are Simparica Trio, a monthly chew, and about 6% are ProHeart 12, a yearly shot; for cats, 88% are Revolution Plus, a monthly topical (Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026). Ask the team which products Petfolk Fishers has on hand.

Test first, then start

Dogs 7 months and older need a heartworm test before prevention starts. That goes for restarting after a gap, too. Prevention doesn't kill adult worms, and starting it in a dog who already has them can cause a reaction. See heartworm testing at Petfolk Fishers for how the test works.

Making it a habit

What keeps Fishers families on schedule:

1. Pick one date each month, like the first.

2. Set a phone reminder or use the Petfolk app.

3. Give chews with a meal, and watch your dog swallow (chews end up behind the couch more often than you'd think).

4. Keep a dose in the travel bag for trips.

Calm, simple visits

Fear Free and gentle handling are standard at every Petfolk clinic. A prevention visit at Petfolk Fishers is short. A check, a talk about your pet's routine, a plan.

The pricing at the fishers location is very transparent and they did not pressure me to get extra services I did not need, which was something I was concerned about with other veterinary clinics.

Estranged S., Google review

What does heartworm prevention cost?

Cost depends on your pet's weight and the product, and a yearly shot is priced differently from twelve monthly chews. You'll get an estimate before any test or treatment. The final bill can differ if the plan changes during the visit. A wellness exam at Petfolk Fishers starts at $99, and PetfolkCare, a yearly membership that starts at $199, includes it.

Signs that need a vet soon

Heartworm signs show up late: a soft cough, tiring on walks, weight loss or a swollen belly. Cats may cough, wheeze or vomit. Book a visit at Petfolk Fishers if you see these. If your pet collapses or struggles to breathe, go to a 24-hour emergency hospital such as VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center at 7712 Crosspoint Commons in Fishers.

Pick up prevention in Fishers

Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Fishers is at 8711 E 106th St, Suite 160, Fishers, IN 46037. You can take prevention home from the on-site pharmacy the same day.

Book a visit at Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Fishers, or see all veterinary services in Fishers.