Circulating heartworm antigen appears in the blood as early as five months post-infection in a small percentage of dogs, but most dogs are not antigen positive until seven months post-infection.
How long after heartworm treatment will dog test positive?
Heartworm antigen testing is the most reliable method of confirming that all of the adult heartworms have been eliminated. Although many dogs are antigen-negative 16 weeks after treatment, it can take longer for the antigen to be completely cleared from some dogs.
How long after infection does a heartworm test show positive?
Antigen is detectable 6½ - 7 months after infection and positive results are possible with as few as 1-3 adult females. Antigen tests will be falsely negative if infection has been present for less than 5 months, or if the worms are either all male or all immature females.
How long does it take for heartworms to show up on a test?
A simple blood test. Beginning at 1 year of age, we will begin testing your dog by taking a blood sample and performing a fast, in-house test, then annually. It takes at least 6-7 months for heartworm disease to show up on a test.
How long after heartworm treatment should you retest?
Your veterinarian should retest your dog for heartworm disease in 6 months. Usually, your dog can slowly resume activity at this time. Remember that every dog living in an area where heartworms exist needs to receive regular heartworm preventative (usually once monthly, given orally at home).
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