Quote:
Originally Posted by Becca1  Should the test be done once a year, even though they are on Heartworm prevention medicine 12 months??? In other words, the Heartworm prevention medicine may not always work??? |
Even though most heartworm preventatives are very effective, there is not a 100% guarantee that your dog will not get heartworm. It's important to know because giving preventative to a heartworm positive dog can cause disasterous results.
Also, some owners may miss a dosage or two, thinking nothing of it (or not even notice), inadvertently making their dog vulnerable. I know this has been the case with me on several occasions. We are just lucky they dogs didn't contract it during the months I forgot.
Lastly, a lot of dogs will throw up the medicine after swallowing it or simply pretend to take it. This is probably not as likely but still a definite possibility.
The yearly recommendation comes from the fact that heartworm is a serious, dangerous and potentially fatal disease. Not to mention that treatment is extremely expensive and hard on the dog. A heartworm infection can cause serious damage to a dog's heart and can do so in a fairly short period of time. Why not do all that you can to prevent it? Especially when the test is easy, quick, and relatively inexpensive.