Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical diagnosis, condition, or treatment options. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Remember: heartworm has been found in every state in the U.S. Whether the missed dose is less or more than two weeks late, contacting your veterinarian is always advisable to be sure of what to do next. If you miss a dose, be proactive about addressing the problem. The minimal cost of preventatives is well worth saving you and your dog the suffering and cost of treating the full-blown disease. Giving your dog a monthly heartworm preventative year-round (yes, even in the winter!) is one of the most effective ways to prevent heartworm disease. Heartworm is a serious but preventable disease. They will also advise that you get your dog heartworm tested in 6 months because it takes about 6 months for heartworm larvae to mature into adults, the test will not be effective until at least 6 months after your dog has been infected with heartworms. Your veterinarian will advise that you give your dog the missed dose right away, then resume your normal monthly dosing schedule. Resume your normal monthly dosing schedule.Ģ.) More than two weeks: Contact your veterinarian because you are likely outside of the grace period. Your dog will be protected from heartworm disease because you will still be within the 45-day grace period in which the preventative is effective. Your veterinarian can help you determine your dog’s individual risk.īelow are guidelines on what to do you if you miss a dose, based on how long it’s been since the dose was missed:ġ.) Less than two weeks: Give your dog the missed dose immediately. The prevalence of heartworm disease where a dog lives or has recently traveled toĪs you can see, several factors need to be considered to determine whether your dog is at risk of developing heartworm disease after missing a dose of preventative.Which heartworm preventative is being used.The consequences of missing a dose depend on several factors: Now, back to the issue of missing a heartworm preventative dose. Because administering a preventative every 45 days is hard to remember, the easy-to-follow recommendation is to give the heartworm preventative every 30 days. So, from the initial mosquito bite to the beginning of maturation, there is an approximate 45-day grace period that a heartworm preventative can provide protection. The common consensus is that it takes about 40‒50 days for heartworm larvae to mature to the point where heartworm preventatives no longer work. However, the preventatives are no longer effective once the larvae start maturing into adult heartworms. Heartworm larvae are initially susceptible to heartworm preventatives. Why give a heartworm preventative every 30 days? As the disease progresses, symtoms may include: Symptoms of heartwormĭuring the early stages of infection, your dog may not show any signs. Heartworm disease is very expensive to treat and is often fatal if left untreated. Heartworms cause serious respiratory and cardiac problems and can damage other organs in the body. Adult heartworms, which grow to nearly 12 inches long and live for several years, take up residence in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels that run between these two organs. Heartworm larvae take about 6 months to fully mature into adults. The mosquito will then inject the larvae when it bites another dog. The microfilariae develop into larvae in the mosquito within 10 to 14 days. If a mosquito bites a dog that has heartworms, the mosquito will suck up microfilariae, which are baby heartworms produced by female adult heartworms. The dog heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, is a parasite that is transmitted by mosquitoes. First, let’s review what heartworm disease is all about and the rationale for monthly doses of heartworm preventative. Several factors determine a dog’s risk of getting heartworm disease if a preventative dose is missed. If this has happened to you, realize that you are not alone.įortunately, missing a dose of heartworm preventative does not automatically mean that your dog is going to get heartworm disease. Despite their best intentions, even the most attentive and diligent pet parent can occasionally forget to give their dog their monthly heartworm preventative. ”Oh no! I missed my dog’s heartworm preventative dose!” Many pet parents have felt this sense of panic at one point or another.
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