Don't gamble with heartworm disease

Unseasonably warm temperatures in March followed by snow in May? It’s the reality for many parts of the country these days. And while it’s hard to figure out exactly what Mother Nature’s thinking, it’s even harder to guess when the mosquito population—and with it, an increase in heartworm disease—will make its presence known.

So rather than trying to figure out when to start making recommendations to your clients about heartworm prevention, another strategy is to heed the advice of the American Heartworm Society (AHS) and urge year-round heartworm protection and annual testing for all pets.

“Year-round protection is that much more important,” explains Dr. Sheldon Rubin, past president of the AHS. “We never know when mosquitos will emerge in the spring or how late into the fall they’ll hang around.”

Looking for ways to fine-tune your heartworm preventive pitch to pet owners? Get started by downloading this informational handout at right, courtesy of the AHS. For more information about heartworm disease, plus client education tools, visit heartwormsociety.org.