How important is Heartworm testing and prevention?
Regular, annual testing of dogs for Heartworm disease is very important as it allows us to detect early infections which can then be successfully eliminated before they have a chance to cause permanent damage and chronic illness or death. Prevention during the entire mosquito season is also very important as it gives your dog the best chance of avoiding this serious parasitic infection. There are several very safe and effective preventive products available. Since no preventive is 100% effective, even dogs who receive Heartworm preventives should be tested annually for heartworm disease. Normally, it is recommended to combine annual heartworm testing with an annual Wellness Test. This allows us to use one blood sample to test both for Heartworm disease as well as looking at the overall health of the major internal organ systems.