Why We Exist

Every day across Texas 100's of dogs are euthanized in shelters simply because they are heartworm positive. Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes and can be contracted year-round because of our warm climate. Although it is cheap to prevent infection with the use of monthly oral preventative or 6 month injections, it has been very expensive to treat once a dog has been infected. This high cost has kept otherwise wonderful dogs from being adopted, and sometimes dogs are even surrendered to shelters for euthanasia because of advanced heartworm disease. This disease is not contagious to humans but an infected dog poses a risk to other dogs in the area that are not kept on monthly heartworm preventative.

In an effort to give more dogs a chance at a long, happy life and keep shelters from overflowing and euthanizing for space we offer 2 low-cost treatment options. Every year thousands of dogs successfully complete treatment and go on to live many happy & healthy years.

Q: Why are your heartworm treatment prices so much lower than traditional vets?
A: In the spring of 2017 Zoetis released an FDA-approved generic for melarsomine (Immiticide) called "Diroban". The price is a significantly lower than the name-brand version, thus we can pass the savings on to our clients. Our mobile set-up also eliminates the costly overhead private practices must manage.

Q:Why do you offer both methods of heartworm treatment? I read one is better than the other...
A: This question has several things that must be considered on an individual basis. While we recognize that AHS's Immiticide Injection Protocol is the gold standard for heartworm treatment, it is not always appropriate for the patient based on age, pre-existing conditions, or  overall health. Secondly, many of our clients are unable to afford injections even at our discounted prices. Rather than risk the dog's heart receiving no care at all, we offer a Doxyycline/Ivermectin/Prednisone method which slowly kills heartworms at different stages. This method takes longer than treating with melarsomine injections, but is better than no treatment at all. We pride ourselves on being a resource for the community and want to prevent owners from feeling hopeless and without any options due to financial constraints.

Q: Where are you located?

A: 1200 OverlooK Terrace, STE C, Fort Worth 76112  

Q: My dog/cat is ill. Why can't you just look at him and give me a cheap treatment plan?

A: Our focus is heartworm treatment and  basic wellness services. We are not equipped for providing full-service treatment, nor do we stock medications outside of what is necessary for heartworm treatment and parasite prevention. Many cases require a microscope or bloodwork to determine a diagnosis-neither of which we are able to offer. While we can have routine bloodwork sent off to a local lab, it is only for preliminary review and anything abnormal would be referred out. We do not handle any type of emergency and clients should seek out an emergency veterinary hospital. 

Q: Why is the 3 injection protocol mandatory? I know other vets that will save me time and just do 2...

A: Every veterinary team is entitled to administer heartworm treatment however they would like at their clinic. Texas Foundation for Animal Care believes in adhering to the injection protocol outlined by the American Heartworm Society. 

While it is possible to achieve a negative heartworm test with 2 melarsomine injections, it is highly possible that a dog will still test positive after treatment. The timeline we use is staged to combat all lifestages of heartworms. While ivermectin is effective against larval stages and melarsomine is lethal to adults, there is nothing available to kill off the " teenagers" in the heart. Properly spacing out injections means we have given the teenagers enough time to mature and thus will be eliminated with melarsomine. 

While we understand that there are vets in the area that only use a 2 injection protocol and are less stringent about doxycycline and/or prednisone usage, that is not something we offer. We want to give each patient the best chance to be free and clear of heartworms after treatment because the process is extremely hard and painful for them. We are not offended if our protocol does not fit your needs and you choose a different  treatment provider