Heartworm Testing in Indian Land, SC, From Your Local Vet

Once a year, every dog over about 7 months old should have a heartworm test, even on year-round prevention, because a dog with early heartworm disease usually looks perfectly healthy. The test is a small blood sample checked for a protein made by adult heartworms. Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Indian Land is a veterinary clinic off Charlotte Highway in Indian Land, South Carolina, with an in-house lab, so many results come back during the visit.

Heartworms are long, thin worms that live in the heart and the large blood vessels of the lungs. Mosquitoes spread them, and a test is the only way to find an infection before signs appear.

Call (803) 232-9817 or book online.

How common is heartworm in South Carolina?

South Carolina ranked fifth in the nation for canine heartworm cases in the American Heartworm Society's 2025 incidence survey, and the same survey named the central Carolinas a new hot spot. The South Carolina Department of Public Health lists dog and cat heartworm among the most common mosquito-borne diseases in South Carolina. Mosquitoes don't stop at the state line, so dogs in Indian Land and nearby North Carolina share the same risk.

Why does my dog need a heartworm test every year if he's on prevention?

The American Heartworm Society recommends testing every year along with year-round prevention, and Petfolk Indian Land follows that advice because a yearly test catches three problems.

• A missed or late dose. A chew dropped behind the couch, a busy month or a dog who spits out pills can leave a gap.

• A dose that didn't stay down. A dog who vomits soon after a monthly chew may not have absorbed it.

• Breaks in protection over a lifetime. No prevention is 100% in every dog, and early infection has no signs.

Finding an infection early means treatment starts before the worms do much damage. Book the test at the same time each year, such as the annual checkup, and mention any brand switch or boarding stay where someone else gave doses.

How often do Petfolk dogs get tested?

Heartworm testing at Petfolk's clinics around Charlotte is mostly an adult-dog test.

• At Petfolk Indian Land, more than a third of wellness visits for dogs aged 1 to 7 (36%) include a heartworm test (May 8, 2026, when the clinic opened, to Oct 19, 2026).

• Across Petfolk's Charlotte-area clinics, about 4 in 10 adult-dog wellness visits (43%) include a heartworm test, for dogs 1 to 7 and dogs 7 and older alike (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026).

• Across Petfolk's Charlotte-area clinics, only about 3% of puppy wellness visits include one, because young puppies are too young to test positive (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026).

Not every yearly test falls at a wellness visit, so these shares are a floor, not a full count.

How is a heartworm test done?

At Petfolk Indian Land, the test takes four steps.

1. Blood draw. The vet or a technician takes a small amount of blood, usually from a leg or the neck. The draw takes a minute or two, with Gentle Handling, treats and calm holding. 2. Antigen test. The most common test looks for a protein (an antigen) released by adult female heartworms. 3. Microscope check, when needed. A drop of blood may be checked for microfilariae, the baby worms that circulate in the blood. 4. Results. Many results come back from the in-house lab during the visit; tests sent out take longer.

If your dog also needs blood work and lab testing, the vet can often run both from the same sample.

When should a puppy or newly adopted dog be tested?

Puppies under about 7 months can start prevention without a test, because an infection picked up that young would not show up yet. They get their first test about six months after starting, then yearly.

Adult dogs adopted from a shelter, a rescue or another state should be tested at Petfolk Indian Land before starting prevention, and again about six months later. A dog can be infected and still test negative early on, because the antigen test only turns positive once worms mature.

Do cats need heartworm tests?

Cats can get heartworm, though less often than dogs, and the usual dog test can miss infections in cats. For most cats, the focus at Petfolk Indian Land is prevention. Ask the vet whether testing makes sense for a cat with coughing, wheezing or vomiting that has no other explanation.

When is heartworm disease an emergency?

Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital if a dog with known heartworm disease collapses, coughs up blood, has sudden trouble breathing or develops dark red-brown urine. These can be signs of a serious complication. A routine yearly test or a missed dose can wait for a regular visit at Petfolk Indian Land.

How do I book a heartworm test in Indian Land?

To book the yearly test with a veterinarian in Indian Land, visit Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Indian Land at 1150 Sherbrook Ave, Ste B109, Indian Land, SC 29707. Call (803) 232-9817 or book online.

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