Posts Tagged: Heartworm

With mosquito season in full swing, it’s more important than ever to make sure your pet doesn’t have heartworm disease. Heartworm prevention medication is the best way to keep the worms from making a home in your pet’s body. 

But before you start heartworm treatment, your veterinarian will want to make sure your pet doesn’t already have heartworms. This is because while heartworm medication kills heartworm larvae, it doesn’t kill adult heartworms. 

A round of heartworm testing can tell your veterinary team whether your pup or kitty needs preventive medication or active treatment. 

Here’s what the team at Bowman Veterinary Hospital wants you to know about how heartworm testing works. 

Ah, spring. There’s nothing like it. From the smell of dirt as you dig in your garden to the sight of new grass and leaves when you walk your dog, there’s a lot to love about this season. Unfortunately for our pets, fleas, ticks, and the mosquitos that carry heartworm larvae also love springtime. 

Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes. While this fact doesn’t endear anyone to them, mosquitoes are just doing what’s in their nature—sucking blood. They don’t discriminate and, in fact, perceive every mammal as a potential meal. The problem is, mosquitoes pick up microscopic heartworm larvae from various fur-covered prey, and subsequently deposit the worms into the bloodstream of their next victim. Staying on top of prevention is an absolute must, but heartworm testing is equally important. Why?