Heartworm Disease and the South
If you have adopted from us, chances are your dog came from Texas or another southern state. Because of the warmer climate, dogs from southern states have a much greater chance of contracting heartworm disease than dogs in the north. It usually takes 6 months for heartworms to show up on any test, so we get most dogs tested before adoption, except for very young puppies. However, the results of these tests may change from day to day depending upon the presence of worms and microfilaria (baby worms) in the bloodstream. We have had dogs test positive in Texas and test negative when they came here. Nothing is certain with these tests, so we have worked with our local vet to come up with a protocol for treating or not treating dogs that test positive for heartworm here.
Dog tests Positive in Texas and Positive Here
In most cases, our vet will treat a dog with the Immiticide injections, usually called the Fast Kill method. This treatment is very hard on a dog, especially seniors, and some dogs do not pull through, so we will work with our vet on the best way to
treat each individual dog. If the worm infestation is high, we would spread out the injections over a few months to limit the stress on the dog’s body. In the case of dogs under a year or those that are a very light positive, we may choose to treat
with the Slow Kill Method, which would be 6 months of Advantage Multi, then retest. Sometimes the dog will test negative at the 6 months mark, and some may test positive. No matter the results, the adopter should continue administering the Advantage Multi monthly.
Dog tests Positive in Texas and Negative Here
In this case, we will recommend using the Advantage Multi (or the slow kill method) each month. As stated above, we have found that the reason this happens will depend again on when the dog is tested and the movement of worms in the bloodstream.
Dog tests Positive in Texas and Positive Here
In most cases, our vet will treat a dog with the Immiticide injections, usually called the Fast Kill method. This treatment is very hard on a dog, especially seniors, and some dogs do not pull through, so we will work with our vet on the best way to
treat each individual dog. If the worm infestation is high, we would spread out the injections over a few months to limit the stress on the dog’s body. In the case of dogs under a year or those that are a very light positive, we may choose to treat
with the Slow Kill Method, which would be 6 months of Advantage Multi, then retest. Sometimes the dog will test negative at the 6 months mark, and some may test positive. No matter the results, the adopter should continue administering the Advantage Multi monthly.
Dog tests Positive in Texas and Negative Here
In this case, we will recommend using the Advantage Multi (or the slow kill method) each month. As stated above, we have found that the reason this happens will depend again on when the dog is tested and the movement of worms in the bloodstream.