I just want some heartworm pills. Why do I have to bring my pet to the hospital to get them?

We need to run a simple blood test in order to be sure that your pet is heartworm free before we can prescribe heartworm preventative. Because of our heavy mosquito population, dogs are at great risk of exposure, and if there have been any breaks in protection in the past, he may have acquired an infection that you are not aware of. Many dogs are not started on preventative until over six weeks of age, so there is a chance he may have been vulnerable during that time. If you ever got off schedule on your monthly meds, there is also some risk. If a dog has heartworms, and is given a preventative, a dangerous or even fatal reaction can result. For his protection, the standard of care is to require a negative test prior to sending home medication.

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