What Is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm disease is caused by worms that live in a dog’s heart and lungs. It’s spread by mosquito bites and can be serious if it’s not caught early. A simple blood test tells us if your dog is infected.
Why We Test Before Surgery
We test before spay, neuter, or dental surgery because heartworm disease can affect how your dog’s body handles anesthesia and healing. Testing ahead of time means no surprises on surgery day.
How It Works
- Small blood sample taken the day of your visit
- Results ready in about 10 minutes
- No fasting or special prep needed
If Your Dog Tests Positive
If your dog tests positive, we’ll call you right away to talk through what it means and what comes next. You’ll have two options:
1) Move forward with surgery:
The American Heartworm Society allows elective procedures for dogs that are otherwise healthy, even with a heartworm-positive result. However, any infection could increase the risk of anesthesia and should be considered.
2) Wait on surgery:
You can choose to hold off, treat the heartworm disease first, and reschedule once your dog is ready.
The choice is yours. We’ll walk you through what makes sense based on your dog’s overall health.
Heartworm Prevention
A positive test isn’t required to start heartworm prevention — but we do recommend testing first to make sure prevention is working as it should. Learn more about Heartworm Prevention →
Add This to Your Visit
Heartworm testing is available as an add-on when you schedule a spay, neuter, or dental cleaning for your dog.
Location
6596 Old Dixie Hwy, Vero Beach, FL 32967
Hours
By appointment only — clinics held monthly on the 3rd Sunday of the month
Note: GPS may route incorrectly. Enter from US-1 through Massey/Culligan Water — do not enter from Old Dixie Hwy.