Boehringer Ingelheim is declaring success in the company’s campaign to get a lot more dogs onto heartworm preventives.
The Heartworm 2020 initiative, launched in January 2019, urges veterinary practices to start at least 20 dogs on heartworm prevention drugs by year’s end. The current tally, Boehringer Ingelheim reported Oct. 23, is more than 51,000 dogs and 2,500 clinics.
“Our vision with Heartworm 2020 was to arm clinic staff with additional tools and resources to support them in having meaningful conversations about heartworm disease with clients,” said Holly Mueller, senior brand manager of Heartgard preventives. “With vets, techs and clinic staff aligned on a common goal for their practice, more dogs are leaving clinics with heartworm disease prevention, and it’s making a difference on a national scale.”
Boehringer Ingelheim quoted Rebecca Wilsey, DVM, the owner of Care Animal Hospital of Pleasant Prairie in Wisconsin and a Heartworm 2020 participant.
“Once our staff began tracking the new dogs receiving prevention, I didn’t fully believe the numbers,” Dr. Wilsey said. “However, when I verified against our patient records, we truly were protecting new dogs in our practice. … They quickly reached their first goal of 200 new dogs protected and have a higher goal they are reaching for now.”
More information about the initiative is available at HeartgardClinic.com.