Heartworm testing and prevention
Heartworm is a disease that poses a serious threat to pets in certain regions of the United States, especially dogs. The good news is that it can be easily prevented through regular testing and the use of preventive medication. Your pet can contract heartworm disease from mosquitoes that are infected with heartworm parasites. The infected mosquito bites your pet and injects the immature worms into the tissue of the animal through its saliva. The immature worms migrate to the lungs and potentially the heart, where they mature into adults and begin to reproduce.
Testing requires only a small sample of your pet’s blood and results are usually available by the next day. Call us to determine if your pet is in an at-risk circumstance for contracting heartworm infections.