Important information about Prescription Heartworm, Flea, Tick and Worming Medication.

As a veterinarian, I believe having your dog or cat on appropriate flea/tick (dogs and cats) and heartworm (generally dogs only) a vital part of pet ownership and quality pet care, especially if they are regularly going outside or playing with other animals.

A number of the heartworm, flea, tick and intestinal worming medications sold on Vetopia are prescription medications. These represent what I believe are the best products available for dogs and cats to prevent a range of life-threatening diseases such as Heartworm, Tick Fever, Lyme Disease and Mycoplasmosis. However, as they are prescription medications, we do need to make sure that they are used correctly and safely.

If you purchase any prescription medication from Vetopia you'll be asked to either provide a prescription letter from your regular veterinarian, or to fill out information and provide a short video of your pet. This is to help make sure we're giving the best preventatives for your pet, and is also a requirement in Hong Kong.

It's important that all pets are given preventative medication that is for their correct weight and type. It's also important not to stop preventative medication, especially for heartworm.

If you have missed giving heartworm medication for over 30 days you should contact your veterinarian before re-starting medication. If you would our help and advice on this, please feel free to contact me, Dr David, directly, or contact one of our hospital team to discuss.

Prescription preventative medications are very safe, but as with any medication there can be side-effects. If you have any concerns or questions, please leave a message below or if urgent please contact us on our 24-hour veterinary hotline, 2915 3999.

If you have any more questions about the best choice of Flea, Tick, Heartworm or Worming medication for your pet or how to use the preventative medication, my team and I would love to help. Please contact us through the link below.

What are Prescription Diets?

Prescription diets are specially formulated to help a dog or cat manage or even help reverse the signs of a medical condition. They are completely natural and have no added drugs or medications.

Each type of prescription diet is formulated with the specific medical issue in mind. For example, prescription diets designed for animals with diabetes have lower levels of carbohydrates and simple sugars to help control blood sugar and reduce strain on the pancreas. Kidney diets have reduced levels of protein to reduce the load on the kidneys. And skin diets often have low levels of allergens and increased levels of anti-oxidants such as Omega-3 oils.

Many medical issues can be helped with prescription diets, including allergies, skin problems, kidney problems, bladder stones, liver issues, diabetes, arthritis and weight loss. For a number of conditions, an effective diet can be one of the cornerstones of treatment.

There have been great advances in veterinary nutrition in the last few decades, and specialized diets can significantly improve the quality and length of life for animals with medical problems.

Two of the most well-respected ranges of specialized diets are Hills Prescription Diet and Royal Canin Veterinary Diet. Two newer prescription diets getting great feedback from pet parents are Vet Expert and Purina Pro-Plan Veterinary.

Can I change back to a normal diet if my pet seems better than before?

In most cases, pets should be kept on their prescription diet for the long term. A prescription diet can greatly help reduce the signs of a problem, but if a pet is changed back on to their old diet there is a high chance that the problem will come back. For example, if a pet is eating a special kidney diet that is low in protein and helping the kidneys, signs of kidney failure will often reduce. However, if they are put back on a regular higher protein diet they will start showing signs of kidney problems again.

Prescription diets are completely nutritionally balanced and are suitable for long-term feeding. They can also greatly improve the length and quality of life for unwell animals, so pets needing a prescription diet should be kept on that food for the long term.

Can I get Prescription Diet for my pets without a prescription?

Prescription diets must be prescribed by a vet as an inappropriate diet would not help an animal, and in some cases, it could worsen another condition. For example, giving the wrong type of bladder stone diet could make some bladder problems worse.