Do dogs need year-round heartworm prevention, or just in summer?

If heartworm is a problem in your area, which is may be considering the mosquitos that carry it have been found in your country according to the paper I gave you earlier, she should be protected against it regardless if she is showing signs or not. A dog can have heartworm without showing signs, and the only way to know for sure if to have a blood test done on her. Even if it's negative, you can't prevent mosquitos from biting her, so she should be protected against it. Heartworm is fatal without treatment, and it can still be fatal even with treatment if the infection is severe enough. I'm glad to hear Bella may be getting spayed this spring! I remember from earlier questions you were debating having it done. Before getting spayed, you can have routine blood tests and a urinalysis done on her. That tells the vet who her organs are functioning, and gives an anesthetic risk assessment for the surgery. An anesthetic risk assessment lets the vet know how she will likely handle being under anesthesia. As with any surgery, as we've talked about before, there is always a risk, but as long as Bella is healthy, that risk is quite small :-)

Unfortunately, nowadays heart worm occurs in every state. So you can check with your vet and get her started on heartworm medication before your trip. Apart from that she should have the full course of vaccinations including a rabies vaccination.

Depending on their physical condition it may be advisable to wait until the spay incision is healed. However your vet, who knows your dogs, should discuss this with you. If they are otherwise healthy and happy, then you will not have to wait long with treatment. Here is a lot of information for you: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/

Have her tested for heartworm before you travel and start her on a preventative if her test comes back negative. It should be given monthly if you will be overseas for an extended period of time. Options include HeartGard, Revolution, Trifexis and Advocate topical.

Yes. Heartworm preventive medications work by intermittently killing the heartworm larvae that may have been transmitted to your dog by infected mosquitoes. As a result, [heartworm preventives](https://www.petcoach.co/article/3-common-types-of-heartworm-prevention) are killing larvae that may have infected a dog in the previous two months. Without the consistent administration of heartworm preventive medications, heartworm larvae can mature and cause serious signs of disease. In order to avoid this serious and life-threatening infection, it is crucial to give your dog [heartworm preventive medication](https://www.petcoach.co/article/should-i-stop-giving-my-pet-preventative-medication-in-the-winter) consistently year-round. ### Interceptor Plus is a trademark of Elanco or its affiliates.

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.

No. I don't think that would be wise. When they have been treated for heartworms and rested for 2 months, it is recommended to GRADUALLY increase their exercise. After they have been cleared to start exercising it is best to start out with like a 5-10 minute leash walk and then every few days increase the time by about 5 minutes. I know that outwardly she seems fine and healthy and I'm sure she'd love the hike but I wouldn't risk it. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes to you and Stella in the new year!