We get asked every day "Is heartworm testing really necessary?"  The answer is, absolutely!

The makers of Heartgard, Interceptor, Sentinel, and Advantage Multi, all require a yearly heartworm blood test to ensure the guarantee on their products.  If your pet is on yearly prevention and comes up positive for heartworms during his/her yearly blood test, the manufactures of these prodcuts will pay for treatment.  This guarantee is not only peace of mind for you, but a break to your wallet for a treatment that often runs over $1000.  In addition, pets that may have contracted heartworm disease can be made very ill if they are given the prevention. 

We not only test pets yearly for heartworms, but with the same blood sample, and same test, we also test for Lyme Disease, and Erlichia.  Both of these diseases are carried by ticks, which are certainly prevalent in our area.  Just today, we had a patint come back positive for Lyme disease.  Without this yearly test, this pet would have gone without treatment for this nasty disease.  These diseases are not uncommon, and can be asymptomatic for a long time before your pet may appear sick.

Please call our office if you would like more information on Heartworm, Lyme, and Erlichia testing for your pet!