Because no preventative is 100% effective and many pet owners (including those of us who work in veterinary medicine) are not always diligent to give their dog's heartworm preventative exactly once a month, we do also recommend testing your dog every year for heartworm disease, even if they remain on a preventative .
Do you have to give your dog heartworm medicine every month?
Heartworm disease can be prevented in dogs and cats by giving them medication once a month that also controls various internal and external parasites. Heartworm infections are diagnosed in about 250,000 dogs each year. 1 But there is no good reason for dogs to receive preventives all year; it is just not needed.
How often should I give my dog heartworm medicine?
Because heartworms must be eliminated before they reach this adult stage, it is extremely important that heartworm preventives be administered strictly on schedule (monthly for oral and topical products and every 6 months or 12 months for the injectable).
Is it OK to skip heartworm medicine?
A: Give the dose you missed immediately, then continue giving the medication on the day you've always given it. If the missed dose is more than 2 weeks late, your dog should be tested for heartworm again in six months (click here to learn why).
Is heartworm medication necessary year round?
That's one reason veterinarians often recommend that pets receive heartworm prevention medication all year long. Although there are a fewer number of mosquitoes in the winter, there is still a risk that an animal could contract heartworms if the owner stops giving medication during this season.
More useful articles on a similar topic 👇
Do dogs need to be on heartworm medicine all year?How often do dogs need heartworm medicine?
