Warmer weather brings mosquitoes and ticks out of hibernation. Be sure to have your dog tested for heartworm disease. The occult heartworm test looks for the heartworm antigen, a protein, in the dog's serum. This test has detected many cases of heartworm that were not caught in the older microfilariae test. The occult test can also detect the difference between a parasite that may look like microfilariae but is Dipetalanemia reconditum, a parasite caused by fleas. Ask your vet to perform the occult test as well as the standard test.

Use the heartworm preventive of your choice. There are now three effective and safe drugs for heartworm prevention the daily DEC (diethylcarbamizine), or the monthly Ivermectin (Heartgard) and Milbemycin (Interceptor).


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