Heartworm Disease in Las Vegas Valley

Newcomers to this area may be pleasantly surprised to learn that heartworm preventive medications such as Heartgard, Sentinel, or Trifexis are unnecessary for dogs living in the Las Vegas Valley.

No Mosquitoes Means No Spread

Mosquitoes spread heartworm from dog to dog, but mosquitoes are unable to live in Vegas’s desert climate.

Although the map below shows 6-25 heartworm cases per veterinary clinic in southern Nevada during 2016, these infected animals came from other places. No documented cases exist of a dog catching heartworm while living in the Las Vegas area.

Prepare For Travel

If you are planning on travelling to California or any other areas where your dog could catch heartworm, then a monthly preventive is recommended.

If a heartworm preventive is needed, then a heartworm test should be performed annually to make sure that your dog isn’t already infected. Giving heartworm preventive to a dog that has a severe heartworm infection could cause a dangerous allergic reaction.