“I have never seen mosquitos in my house.”,
“We don’t have much problem with mosquitos because it is so dry.”,
“My dog stays mostly inside the house.”
These are very common answers from many clients.
As you do see the Heartworm incidence map from American Heartworm Society, Arizona has many cases of heartworm disease. Below shows only those cases reported.
Every three years, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) gathers data on heartworm testing to understand the impact heartworm is having nationwide, as well as in specific regions.
Testing data from thousands of veterinary practices and shelters is used to create a detailed map showing the average number of heartworm-positive cases per clinic.
<About Heartworm disease>
https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/heartworm-basics
HEARTWORM PREVENTION
The AHS recommends year-round heartworm prophylaxis for maximal effectiveness.
Puppies should be started on preventives as early as possible, and no later than 8 weeks of age.
Puppies started on a heartworm preventive after 8 weeks of age should be tested 6 months after the initial dose, then annually thereafter.
Reports of Lack of Efficacy:Lack of efficacy (LOE) of a heartworm preventive product is considered by the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a dog testing heartworm positive regardless of appropriateness of dosage or administration consistency.
Most LOE claims are explained by compliance issues including failure to administer sufficient preventive or failure to administer the preventive when it should be given.
It is possible for an animal to become infected by missing or delayed administration of just one dose of preventive, particularly in highly endemic areas.
