Parasitic disease in dogs
Regular screening: The best defense against parasitic disease in dogs
Regular screening for parasites tells you about more than individual patients--it helps inform your knowledge of your entire patient population. Building your own knowledge of prevalence in your area better prepares you to educate pet owners about risks and increases compliance.
- Understanding more about this risks and prevalence of parasites helps pet owners realize the value of preventatives and regular screening.
- We recommend following the Companion Animal Parasite Council guidelines for annual parasite screening:
- For intestinal parasites, testing two or four times during the first year of life and one to two times per year in adults, depending on patient health and lifestyle factors.
- Annual heartworm testing in dogs, and annual testing for both antigen and microfilariae of heartworms, including testing annually for regionally relevant vector-transmitted pathogens.
- Preventive visits are a must for healthy patients and a strong practice and for providing better insights into what your patients are exposed to over time.