Why heartworm prevention messaging is getting more attention

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Veterinary teams may need to sharpen how they talk about heartworm prevention, not just what they recommend. In a recent dvm360 discussion, Marisa Ames, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), said improving adherence starts with clearer, team-wide communication about risk, year-round prevention, and common misconceptions that lead pet parents to skip doses or stop preventives seasonally. That message aligns with American Heartworm Society guidance recommending year-round FDA-approved prevention for dogs, cats, and ferrets, as well as annual testing in dogs, even when preventives are given consistently. Heartworm disease continues to be diagnosed nationwide, and AHS and CAPC both point to shifting risk patterns and local data tools that can help practices make the case more concretely. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the communication challenge is also a compliance and care-delivery issue. When pet parents see heartworm prevention as optional, seasonal, or interchangeable with treatment, clinics face more missed doses, delayed testing, and harder conversations after infection is found. Using the full care team, local parasite prevalence data, and consistent messaging about prevention being safer and less costly than treatment may help practices improve adherence while reinforcing preventive care value. Ames’s role as the new president of the American Heartworm Society also gives added visibility to this prevention-focused message. (dvm360.com)

What to watch: Expect continued emphasis on clinic participation in heartworm surveillance, updated incidence mapping, and more practice-facing guidance on how to communicate risk and prevention value to pet parents. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)