The Tails of Truth Podcast:

Rethinking Heartworm Prevention: A Fresh Take on Heartworm Protocols

In this episode of Tails of Truth, Dr. Angie breaks down everything you thought you knew about heartworm prevention and invites you to rethink the one-size-fits-all approach many clinics follow. She and JoJo explore common veterinary practices around annual testing, year-round prevention, and how geography, travel, and climate play a bigger role than most pet parents realize.

They also tackle the realities of holistic care: what it means to balance low-toxicity living with real disease prevention, why heartworm treatment is more dangerous than prevention, and how to empower pet parents with information — not pressure.

Plus, Dr. Angie shares a free resource to help you navigate parasite prevention with more confidence. Visit boulderholisticvet.com and use code TRUTHTAILS to access her Parasite Prevention course for free.

Key Takeaways

  • Testing isn’t always necessary to dispense prevention. In low-risk areas, annual testing may not make sense.
  • Access to prevention should be simple. Withholding medication due to skipped testing can be counterproductive.
  • Prevention is safer than treatment. The heartworm treatment protocol is highly toxic; prevention is a micro-dose of ivermectin.
  • Seasonal prevention can be appropriate. In places like Boulder, Colorado, heartworm risk is seasonal due to mosquito activity.
  • Pet travel matters. If your pet leaves your local area, even briefly, prevention should be timed to cover that exposure window.
  • Heartworm affects cats, too. Though less common, cats can still get heartworm.
  • “Natural” doesn’t mean skipping prevention. A holistic approach still includes smart, low-risk prevention strategies.
  • Understanding transmission helps. Mosquitoes are the only vector — if they’re not present, the risk drops significantly.
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Sound Bites

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  • “Just give it to them. Like if you want to prevent this disease.”— Dr. Angie “Just do it. Just do it. I don’t want it to be your dog.”— Dr. Angie “Prevention is a holistic approach to heartworm.”— JoJo “It’s one of the least toxic things we do — it’s just ivermectin.”— Dr. Angie “We’re not saying don’t test. We’re saying don’t withhold care.”— Dr. Angie

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