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Puppies can first get tested for heartworm disease when they are 6 to 7 months in age.
Veterinarians test dogs to find out if they have heartworm disease, a condition characterized by worms live in animals' lungs, according to the American Heartworm Association. The disease is often treatable if diagnosed before it reaches an advanced stage.


Significance
You should take your dog to be tested for heartworm disease is she has developed a cough, a loss of appetite, weight loss, breathing troubles, a resistance to exercise and/or lethargy, according to Petplace.com. Get your pet tested yearly after she is six months and older.

Microfilaria Test
The microfilaria, or Knott's, test is used to look for early-stage larvae in your dog's blood. For the test, a veterinarian or laboratory technician examines a sample of your dog's blood under a microscope. This test usually will not show that your dog has been infected with adult heartworms until six or seven months after he has been bitten by a mosquito that spreads heartworm larvae, according to the Anne Arudel County Animal Control.

Serology Test
The serology, or antigen, test is used to look for antigens, or proteins, created by adult heartworms. During the test, your dog's blood is tested with filter paper. This test looks for infections from small numbers of heartworms or microfilariae, according to Petplace.com.

Alternative Tests
Sometimes veterinarians will use radiology tests or an ultrasound to confirm a heartworm infection in animals that are already suspected to have heartworm disease, according to the American Heartworm Association.

Results
If your dog tests negative for heartworm disease, your veterinarian will put her on preventive medicine. If she tests positive for heartworms, your veterinarian will likely give her intramuscular injections of an adulticide.