Calliesmom
Moderator
year-round heartworm here- they get tested at their annual every year.....
RikyR
Premium Member
It never gets cold enough here to put them down for long. They are not as active, but a few warm days they are buzzing around again. The heartworm test is included in the yearly blood panel.
Chris
Premium Member
We have to maintain both test and meds. We do stop Frontline in the winter, however.
Ann
Moderator
I thought this might be helpful to everyone. I follow Jean Dodds' protocol on how long to give heartworm meds. Here's a link to the article that explains it with specifics for each state.
ghggp
Moderator
Just curious... since I feed the birds and squirrels are around that carry fleas I still do use Frontline all winter too... thoughts?
Piper's mom
Moderator
I give the heartworm med from June-October at vet's recommendation. I was told by them that each monthly dose protects against previous months exposure which is why we start in June when mosquitos first start to appear in May.
Ann
Moderator
As far as I know, fleas go away with the cold so I never use it after November unless it's unusually warm. I hate using the chemicals on them anyway so I welcome the break from December to April.
Piper's mom
Moderator
Im so glad we dont have fleas here! I've never had a problem with fleas.