Our pets take good care of us; they provide love, companionship, tenderness and even physical activity to create a improved quality of life for human beings. Isn't it only fair that we do the same for them? Heartworm is one of the most fatal illnesses that a dog can contract, but that is only if it is not properly treated. Heartgard is one of the most in use forms of treatment for heartworm disease, most likely due to the fact that it is nearly 100 percent effective. It can eliminate the worms that infect your dog's heart and save his life, so needless to say Heartgard is an important part of any canine's heath regimen. However, it can also be dangerous. Those who don't know how to administer Heartgard to their dog can unwittingly cause an overdose of this medication and if not rectified, an overdose of Heartgard can be lethal to your canine pal.

A dog can get an overdose of Heartgard in a couple of ways, but generally your administration will result in the overdose. Also, sometimes piggish dogs will get into the box and eat them and if they do that, they generally eat them all. In this case, you want to ensure that you always have it completely out of the reach of your pet for their own safety. It could be the difference between life and death!

The thing about Heartgard is that if your dog is already afflicted, you have to take another type of treatment. Heartgard is about prevention, not treatment so if you think your dog could be infected it is important to seek a vet beforehand. If you administer Heartgard and you think that your dog might be infected, there are some ways of being able to confirm. If your dog looks or acts groggy and stumbles about, or is acting like he or she cannot see and bumping into things, that is one indication of an overdose. Also, if your dog is weaker than normal or is vomiting or shaking excessively, that is another indication of a Heartgard overdose. Of course, fainting is another indication, but hopefully your pet's overdose won't get that terrible.

The only way that you can treat an overdose of Heartgard is to take your pet to the vet. There is nothing that you can do from home and if you notice weird behavior and find that it is due to an overdose of Heartgard it is important to act immediately. Of course, an ounce of prevention is much better in this case. Not keeping it in the house or keeping it away from your pets is a good way of preventing this from happening at all. Sure, your dog doesn't know better than to overdose on Heartgard, but you do know better.