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:   

1. 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.
   
2. 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.