At Vets to Pets, our approach is built on compassion, convenience, and industry-leading standards of care, provided in the comfort of your own home. Preventative medicine is at the heart of keeping our pets healthy. One simple but essential test that we always prioritize is annual heartworm screening, which is a small step that can protect your cat or dog from a potentially life-threatening disease.

What is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis, which is spread through mosquito bites. Once inside a pet’s body, the worms reside in the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels.

Over time, this can lead to:

  • Heart failure
  • Lung disease
  • Organ damage
  • Death (in severe cases)

While dogs are the primary hosts for heartworms, cats can become infected as well. In cats, symptoms are often more subtle, or mistaken for other respiratory issues. This makes the disease especially difficult to detect without testing.

Why Testing Matters

  1. It saves lives with early detection.
    Heartworm disease develops slowly, and may not cause noticeable symptoms for months, or even years. By the time symptoms appear, significant damage may have already occurred. Routine testing allows us to identify infection early on, when treatment is safer and more effective.
  2. It guides safe preventative care.
    Before starting heartworm preventatives, such as Simparica Trio, ProHeart, or Heartgard, testing confirms that your pet is not already infected. Administering preventatives to a pet with an active heartworm infection can lead to serious complications. At Vets to Pets, we prioritize testing first to ensure we are protecting your pet safely and responsibly.
  3. It protects pets who seem healthy
    Even pets that aren’t displaying symptoms can still have heartworms causing hidden damage to their heart and lungs. Regular screening gives us the opportunity to intervene before the disease progresses further.
  4. It offers peace of mind
    Annual testing reassures you that your pet’s prevention plan is working smoothly, and that they are protected from this dangerous parasite and the diseases it can cause.

How Often Should Pets Be Tested?

  • Dogs: Annually! Even if they are on year-round prevention, it is important to test every year for heartworm disease.
  • Cats: Annually! It is particularly important to test cats that spend any amount of time outdoors.

The test itself is quick and safe, typically requiring only a small blood sample taken during your pet’s annual wellness exam.

At Vets to Pets

Heartworm disease is preventable, but prevention works best when paired with annual testing! At Vets to Pets, we customize heartworm prevention and screening based on your pet’s lifestyle and risk factors, ensuring strong protection with as little stress as possible.

With regular testing, we can detect infections early on, guide safe prevention care, and keep your pets healthy and protected for years to come.