My dog gained weight. Was heartworm prevention dose too low?

Question

Six months ago, my corgi weighed 25 lbs. I purchased a 6-month supply of Interceptor (heartworm preventative) for dogs weighing 11-25 lbs. Now that I'm ready for another refill, she weighs 27 lbs. I will order the dosage for 26-50 lbs. However, my question/concern is: what if she's weighed 27 lbs. for the last several months? If I've been giving her too-low of a dose, is it possible that she's not been protected? Should I have her tested for heartworm before her next dose? Pet's info: Dog | Pembroke Welsh Corgi | Female | spayed | 1 year and 11 months old | 26.4 lbs

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there. What a great question! I am pretty certain Willow is going to be just fine but that being said, it is possible she wasn't fully protected. There is really no sense in testing her now. If she was infected sometime in the last couple months when she was over the weight range she wouldn't show up positive on the heartworm test. The heartworm test only tests for the presence of adult heartworms in the heart and that process takes 6 months from the time the dog is bitten by a mosquito carrying the heartworm larvae. Those larvae go through many stages in the dog's body before becoming adult heartworms where the test can detect them. If she was my dog I would just keep her on the correct dose of heartworm prevention for the next 6 months and then have her tested. I see you are in Maryland. I'm guessing you haven't had a lot of mosquitos yet these past few months and since that is how heartworms are transmitted I don't think she has really had the opportunity to be infected. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Willow :) Try not to worry too much, keep her on the correct dose for her current weight and get her tested in 6 months. Dr. Amber

My dog gained weight. Was heartworm prevention dose too low?

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