DULUTH, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merial’s new HEARTGARD iPhone® app makes remembering heartworm prevention a snap for pet owners by helping them manage dosage schedules. The application prompts dog owners through a simple reminder sent to their phones on the day the dose is due.
“Merial, the makers of HEARTGARD, has developed a first-of-its-kind iPhone app for pet owners to help them provide consistent, year-round prevention against heartworm disease in their pets. The risk of heartworm infection is widespread, and heartworm disease is potentially deadly, yet easily preventable”
Advance features enable pet owners to set up and manage dosing schedules and store important information about their dogs such as birthdays, weight and veterinarian contact information. Users input the number of doses of HEARTGARD they have purchased and the app counts down the remaining doses after each reminder notice is sent.
“Merial, the makers of HEARTGARD, has developed a first-of-its-kind iPhone app for pet owners to help them provide consistent, year-round prevention against heartworm disease in their pets. The risk of heartworm infection is widespread, and heartworm disease is potentially deadly, yet easily preventable,” said Michael J. Murray, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, Technical Marketing Director for USA Pet Parasiticides, Merial Limited. “Giving your pet heartworm preventive medication every 30 days is essential, and now it will be easier than ever to protect your pet against heartworm disease.”
The application, customizable with a feature that allows users to download their dog’s photos, includes a summary of how HEARTGARD works and the importance of prevention vs. treatment. Heartworm disease is expensive and often difficult to treat, but prevention is easy and affordable with products like the HEARTGARD Real-Beef Chewable, the brand most asked for by pet owners.1
The American Heartworm Society encourages pet owners to administer year-round prevention for this disease that may prove fatal for dogs. Spread by mosquitoes, heartworm disease is a risk for all dogs,2 regardless of whether they are indoor or outdoor pets. Since treatment offers unpredictable outcomes, prevention is the best option available.
For more information or to download the free HEARTGARD iPhone app, visit www.heartgard.com.
Important Safety Information:
MERIAL-logo4c RsG.jpg
HEARTGARD is well tolerated. All dogs should be tested for heartworm infection before starting a preventive program. Following the use of HEARTGARD, digestive and neurological side effects have rarely been reported. For more information, please visit www.HEARTGARD.com.
About Merial
Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs approximately 5,700 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2009 sales were $2.6 billion. Merial is the Animal Health subsidiary of sanofi-aventis. For more information, please see www.merial.com.
®HEARTGARD and the Dog & Hand logo are registered trademarks of Merial. ®iPhone is a registered trademark, and App Store is a registered service mark, of Apple Inc.
©2010 Merial Limited, Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. HGD10PBIPHONEPRESSR
1 Opinion Research Corporation, Heartworm Prevention Medication Study, 2009. Data on file at Merial.
2 Where is Heartworm Disease? Available at: http://heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner resources/heartworm.html. Accessed November 25, 2009.
