Why Your Vet is So Strict About Heartworm Prevention
As someone who has worked in veterinary medicine and assisted in surgeries, I've been in many situations - both uplifting and heartbreaking - that would have had very different outcomes without prevention, medication, or intervention. Heartworm disease is one of the most notorious veterinary illnesses. Most laymen know the term, but may not fully understand what the illness is or does, and that's where vet staff comes in.
There is a huge misconception among a large group of pet parents that assumes vets push for certain preventions, foods, and vaccinations for some "kick-back" program for veterinarians from certain brands. I can tell you firsthand that couldn't be further from the truth. They are not getting paid to recommend Hill's Science Diet or Royal Canin to you; they are recommending those brands because they are reliable and the best nutritional value for your pets compared to others. These, and a few others, employ animal nutritionists on their boards to ensure top quality. That is why veterinarians trust them and recommend them most - they know they have been well-formulated for your pets, and I promise those are the exact same brands they buy and feed their own babies.
When I was working the rooms and interacting more with clients before my accident took me out, I experienced a lot of pushback toward heartworm prevention, with some of the most ridiculous reasons given to decline. My all-time biggest pet peeve when it comes to this topic?
