Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs and cats. It is transmitted to pets via mosquitoes, and even a single bite of infected mosquito poses risk of heartworm disease. Adult heartworms live in blood vessels of lungs, and in severe cases heart, causing irreversible damage.¹

Dogs get heartworms from infected mosquitoes. Heartworm larvae enter the dog through the mosquito bite and over time develop into adult heartworms, which cause heartworm disease. One bite is all it takes.²

The most common parasitic threats for cats are hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and heartworms. Cats can get heartworms by being bitten by an infected mosquito. One bite is all it takes. Cats become infected with roundworms via ingestion of eggs from a contaminated environment or by the ingestion of rodents with infective larvae. Cats become infected with hookworms via ingestion of infective larvae from the environment, larval penetration of their skin, and/or ingestion of other hosts with infective larvae in their tissues. In addition, cats can get tapeworms by ingesting infected fleas through grooming. NexGard® COMBO (esafoxolaner, eprinomectin, and praziquantel topical solution) is the only broad-spectrum feline parasiticide that kills fleas and ticks, prevents heartworm disease, treats and controls roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms.

Fleas often cause intense itching to the skin of cats and dogs as a result of their bites. In turn, cats and dogs will often chew or scratch at these itchy areas, which can cause further skin irritation, hair loss, and scabs. Fleas have specific sites on the pet's body they prefer, specifically the tail head area on the back, the belly between the rear legs, and around the head and neck. If the owner parts the fur in these areas, they may see actual fleas or dark specs resembling dirt or pepper in the hair or on the skin. This is flea dirt or flea faeces consisting or partially digested blood from the pet.

Ticks can be hard to spot on dogs and cats and initially, as they create few, if any symptoms. They attach to the skin, underneath the fur making them practically invisible. They also attach to hard-to-reach areas such as under collars or in the armpits. While cats and dogs may eventually gnaw or scratch at the tick attachment sites, ticks have numbing properties to their saliva, which hides their presence. Owners are advised to run their fingers through the pet's haircoat on a daily basis to feel for attached ticks, or look for areas of displaced fur, which occurs as the ticks enlarge. Even with the best vigilance, larval and nymphal stages may be impossible to detect. Ticks can transmit serious and sometimes life-threatening illnesses, which manifest long after the tick has fallen off.

More than 90% of puppies under 3 months of age are infected with roundworms.³  NexGard® PLUS chews (afoxolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel chewable tablets) are labeled for dogs only and are safe for puppies 8 weeks or older, weighing 4 lbs or more.