Pet owners love their furry friends and and want the best for them. But the hardest part of taking care of your pets can be getting them to the vet. They seem to have an uncanny sixth sense that tells them when they’re going to the vet of to the beach or a farm picnic. Dogs will get the shivers and be miserable, and cats will hide. But there are times when veterinary clinical diagnostics are needed, for example to test whether your dog has heartworm. Home tests for dogs can bypass all the hassle, and speed up getting the treatment that Fido needs to go on being his healthy, cheerful self.
What are heartworms?
Heartworms are parasitic worms that live in the blood vessels in the lungs and the heart. They are transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito and affect about thirty species. If left untreated, heartworms can cause serious illness and even be fatal. It is estimated that around a million dogs test positive for heartworm each year. A heartworm test can be done in a veterinarian office, but many people prefer to do a dog heartworm test at home for a number of reasons.
First of all, there’s the convenience of getting a diagnosis at home without having to drag a frightened and shivering canine to the vet and put up with the mournful accusing looks later. Second, vet bills run high and very visits adds up the basic cost of an office visit as well the testing. Third, testing at home can be done in a timely manner. This is important, because the disease should be caught at an early stage, before it goes on to damage internal organs like the lungs, heart, liver, and/or kidneys.
Doing the canine heartworm test at home
Fortunately, it’s now possible to perform many veterinary clinical diagnostics at home. The canine antigen heartworm test kit can be used at home to determine if a dog needs to begin a course of treatment. It can also be used when changing from one type of medication to another. Dogs who are on preventative heartworm medication should also be tested periodically.
Typically, puppies under the age of 7 months are not tested for this disease. Doing the canine antigen test at home can help to diagnose and treat the disease at an early stage, before it does any serious damage. Heartworm treatment can run expensive, going as high as $1,000. Catching the disease at an early stage can prevent the need for complicated and expensive treatment.
Heartworm is a serious disease that affects dogs and thirty other different species. Testing can catch the infection at an early stage, before damage to essential organs. Many people prefer to do the testing at home, using home test kits from veterinary clinical diagnostics services. Testing at home is easier and costs less than a visit to the vet. It may also help to diagnose the infection at an earlier stage.