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02-10-2009, 02:04 PM | #1 |
Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: A little town south of Chicago
Posts: 4,525
| Heartworm testing I have yet another new vet question. Our old vet told us that as long as we keep our dogs on heartworm preventative year round they didn't need to be tested for heartworms. Our new vet says it doesn't matter. We need to test every year. Which one is right? |
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02-10-2009, 02:13 PM | #2 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Depends on the vet. Some say give meds year-round and never test. Some say give meds year-round and test yearly. Some say it is okay to give 9 months a year and test yearly in cold climates. I'm not sure there is a right or wrong answer. It is possible that if your dog get heartworms while on a preventative, the company will pay for treatment. There are restrictions though and yearly testing might be one of those for some companies to pay. I give it 9 months a year and test yearly but I think we will go to year-round and continue testing. Since it takes 6 months for the worms to go to the heart though, I never understood yearly testing. Couldn't it be too late by then? I'm not sure anyone has a good answer on this so I just go with a fair protocol.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
02-10-2009, 02:16 PM | #3 |
Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: A little town south of Chicago
Posts: 4,525
| I guess you are right. And it wouldn't hurt. |
02-10-2009, 02:25 PM | #4 |
I ♥ Franklin & Maggie Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 2,068
| We test year round because I'm incredibly forgetful and skip doses all the time. Even if I didn't, I would test anyway. I think it's important to be safe. Plus we do a yearly blood panel and they since they've already drawn the blood, I don't see why not.
__________________ Diana , Mommy to Franklin, Maggie, Oliver, and Millie - RIP Piper |
02-10-2009, 02:32 PM | #5 |
I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 37,147
| My vet tests once a yr
__________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427 |
02-10-2009, 03:01 PM | #6 |
♥Momma's Bambino♥ Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ca
Posts: 10,026
| You are suppose to test before you put them on the heartworm meds...I have peanut tested once a year
__________________ "People with nothing to hide don't usually feel the need to say so." |
02-10-2009, 03:05 PM | #7 |
owned by my monkeys Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: far north dallas, texas
Posts: 1,866
| once per year...it is not an expensive test and it is better to be safe than sorry IMO plus my vet says yearly and i trust him!
__________________ lyn ~ miss buffey, sir bentley and baby bree ~ RIP sweet gino - mommy will always love you please click to give FREE food - the animal rescue site |
02-10-2009, 04:47 PM | #8 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| My vet insists that they be tested yearly before prescribing heartworm preventative. She said they have even seen cases of heartworm in dogs when one month was skipped. If your dog does have heartworms and you give him the preventative, it could kill him as the dead worms can clog the heart. Better to be safe than sorry and get him tested. |
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