Our pups are on the medication year round too and also get the blood test yearly. When I questioned our vet, she said the medication is very effective, but nothing is 100%. Also, she said if a dosage was missed or not given properly, it opens the door to the dog getting the disease. If the dog does have heart worm and given the medication, it can be deadly for the dog. Finally, our vet says the instructions clearly state the heart worm medication can only be given to dogs that have been tested for heart worm. She isn't willing to risk her practice by not doing the test.
It is expensive to have dogs and this is one test I still wonder why has to be done because we follow the instructions. In our case, if we want the medication, the vet will only give it to us with a negative test.
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