Hello everyone. I have a few questions about heartworm medications. My baby is 2 years old and has never been on a heartworm medication. We spend most of our time in Guadalajara and I asked Itzel's vet about heartwork prevention and he told me there is no heartworm in this area. The problem is that there is heartworm in California where we spend a few months at a time, usually before the mosquito season begins. Well, this year we're going to be spending a lot of time in California and now that my family lives out in the country, mosquitoes are going to be a big problem.
So I want to start my baby on a heartworm preventive. My questions are: should she have blood work done to check if she has heart worm before starting her on the medication? What medication is usually recommended? I think the vet here carries Heartguard, but I don't really remember. Are there any side effects I should look out for when I start her on any heartworm prevention regimen? Thank you all for the help!!
