5

Is heartworm common among dogs in India, and is it necessary to get dogs vaccinated against it?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
6

The only way dogs get heartworm is through an infected mosquito and India has a lot of mosquitos and you cannot tell if a mosquito is an infected carrier, same problem with mosquitos and dengue fever. So, as a general statement, the risk of heartworm would be quite high and the best way to deal with heartworm is to stop it before it happens, so vaccination would be a very good idea because curing after the fact is quite hard (and much more expensive).

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    It's important for a dog to be on heartworm preventative like Sentinel or Trifexis year-round regardless of where you live, but even more important in areas with lots of mosquitos. There is currently no vaccine (like there is for rabies) according to the American Heartworm Society, but there are a variety of prevention methods.
    – Jeff
    Commented Jul 31, 2014 at 13:49

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.