{"id":1714,"date":"2024-08-08T13:22:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T20:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowmanvet.com\/blog\/?p=1714"},"modified":"2024-08-09T13:24:10","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T20:24:10","slug":"how-heartworm-testing-works-what-pet-owners-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowmanvet.com\/blog\/how-heartworm-testing-works-what-pet-owners-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"How Heartworm Testing Works: What Pet Owners Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With mosquito season in full swing, it\u2019s more important than ever to make sure your pet doesn\u2019t have heartworm disease. Heartworm prevention medication is the best way to keep the worms from making a home in your pet\u2019s body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before you start heartworm treatment, your veterinarian will want to make sure your pet doesn\u2019t already have heartworms. This is because while heartworm medication kills heartworm larvae, it doesn\u2019t kill adult heartworms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A round of heartworm testing can tell your veterinary team whether your pup or kitty needs preventive medication or active treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what the team at Bowman Veterinary Hospital<\/a> wants you to know about how heartworm testing works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Heartworm Testing 101 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Avoiding heartworm prevention<\/a> carries serious risks, including the potential for devastating illness<\/a> and even death. But before we can explore how heartworm testing works, we have to understand how the parasite infects our pets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do Heartworms Infect Pets?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When a heartworm-carrying mosquito bites your pet, it deposits infective heartworm larvae into your dog or cat\u2019s bloodstream. Dogs are a definitive host for heartworms. This means these pesky parasites can live out an entire lifecycle within your canine\u2019s body\u2014mainly within the heart and lungs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heartworm prevention medication<\/a> works by killing the larvae before they mature into adulthood. But the medication only works if your pet receives it within 50 days of a bite. After this time, heartworms molt into their juvenile stage\u2014and preventive meds won\u2019t get rid of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within six to seven months, the larvae become fully mature adults. They mate with each other and produce more offspring, multiplying the number of heartworms in your dog. By this point, your dog will need aggressive treatment to get rid of the parasites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cats are atypical hosts for heartworms, so the parasite can\u2019t reach adulthood after infecting your kitty. But even a few heartworms can negatively affect your feline friend and cause heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Medications to treat <\/strong>heartworm in dogs don\u2019t work in cats. Because of this, prevention is essential<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prevention can only begin after a round of heartworm tests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ins and Outs of Heartworm Testing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are two heartworm tests for dogs. One detects heartworm larvae and the other can pick up the presence of adult heartworms. Here\u2019s how they work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n