My dog tested negative for heartworms, does she still need prevention?

Question

I had my dog spayed about 2 weeks ago & the animal shelter asked me if my dog takes heart worm medicine & I said no So they tested my dog & the results were negative So do I have to give my dog heart worm medicine? Pet's info: Dog | Pug | Female | spayed | 3 years and 3 months old | 25.9 lbs

Dr. Davis · Accepted Answer

Yes, if you live in an area with mosquitos. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, not by dog to dog contact. The mosquito injects larva into the blood when they bite the dog and over six months they grow into adult heartworms that live in the heart and surrounding blood vessels. Infected dogs have many worms in their heart and they eventually die of heart failure if not treated. The treatment is expensive and can be hard on the dog. Heartworm prevention is given monthly for life and protects your dog from heartworms and intestinal parasites. There are many different safe products some that include flea prevention also. Please talk with your veterinarian about getting prevention for Sophie soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sophie.

My dog tested negative for heartworms, does she still need prevention?

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