Diagnostic dilemmas with heartworm disease with Dr. Lindsay Starkey | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we discuss diagnostic dilemmas with heartworm disease. The diagnosis of heartworm disease may seem like a straightforward issue, thanks to the availability of accurate, easy-to-use patient-side tests that detect the presence of heartworm antigen in the blood of pets being screened annually for heartworm disease. But is heartworm testing foolproof? Today we're joined by Dr. Lindsay Starkey, a veterinary parasitologist and an assistant professor on the faculty of Auburn University. Dr. Starkey also serves on the board of directors for the American Heartworm Society. Tune in to learn what the AHS recommends for heartworm screening and why, along with how to interpret “weakly” or “borderline” positive antigen tests. She'll discuss when additional screening tests are warranted, and how often to re-test positive dogs. But don't forget about cats! Find out what the AHS recommends for heartworm screening in cats, and whether you should use antigen or antibody testing... or both!