Many veterinarians offer heartworm testing that can be performed at their clinics via the SNAP test. Lab work typically takes a day for results, whereas a SNAP test can give you an answer before you leave the vet clinic. This easy-to-use test can give owners and veterinarians results in about eight minutes. However, SNAP test results can be misinterpreted, so users must know how to interpret the results correctly.
Things You'll Need
- SNAP test
Instructions
Find the sample spot on the SNAP test. The sample spot is the middle window on the test, below the circular sample well and above the activation circle. It is the only window that is not shaped like a circle and is the largest on the test.
Check the sample spot window to see if there are any blue circles, and observe where in the window they may appear. A blue circle may appear in one of four areas: top is the positive control; right is a low-antigen indicator; bottom is the negative control; left is the high-antigen indicator.
Know that if a circle appears in the top of the sample spot only, the positive control is present and the results are negative, meaning your dog does not have heartworms. If the low- or high-antigen levels are marked, the dog tested positive for heartworms.