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All dog owners should have their pets checked for heartworms every year. If your dog is already taking heartworm preventatives, get him tested every two or three years just to be on the safe side.

Heartworms (parasitic worms) invade a dog’s heart and can result in death if not treated promptly. Infected mosquitoes pass the heartworms to dogs (and even cats) through bites.

The only way to tell if your dog has heartworms is through blood tests and other tests administered by your veterinarian.

Heartworms are a big pet health issue as they have been diagnosed in all 50 states.

When a dog is first infected with heartworms there are no visible signs. As the heartworms grow and mature, an infected dog may start coughing, suffer nosebleeds, get short of breath and experience extreme tiredness. He also may get pneumonia and in more serious cases go into heart failure.

If your dog gets regular checkups, the odds are he’s already on some type of heartworm preventative. If your dog is not on a heartworm preventative, ask your veterinarian to test your dog first, before starting him on any preventative.

Puppies can start taking heartworm preventative at 8 weeks of age. They should be tested for heartworms approximately 5 months later.

Having your dog on heartworm preventatives is worthwhile because a healthy dog is a happy dog.

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