Monthly Heart Guard

This is non negotiable. Mosquitoes can be out on warm days in February. Heart worms are very serious and as such need to be prevented from maturing.

While I normally disdain use of chemicals this one is too important and I know of no holistic or herbal substitute.

The mosquito plays an essential role in the heart worm life cycle. Adult female heart worms living in an infected dog, fox, coyote, or wolf produce microscopic baby worms called microfilaria that circulate in the bloodstream. When a mosquito bites and takes a blood meal from an infected animal, it picks up these baby worms, which develop and mature into “infective stage” larvae over a period of 10 to 14 days.

​Then, when the infected mosquito bites another dog, cat, or susceptible wild animal, the infective larvae are deposited onto the surface of the animal's skin and enter the new host through the mosquito’s bite wound. Once inside a new host, it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heart worms. Once mature, heart worms can live for 5 to 7 years in dogs and up to 2 or 3 years in cats. Because of the longevity of these worms, each mosquito season can lead to an increasing number of worms in an infected pet.
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Note that in as little as 51 days, immature heart worm larvae can molt into an adult stage, which can't be effectively eliminated by preventives.  it is  important that heart worm preventives be administered  in a timely manner every month.  mark your calendar - put a note on the refrigerator - however you need to be reminded just do it.