With the cool summer nights and long, cold winters of this area, many pet owners do not consider heartworm to be a risk in Colorado. That does not mean heartworm preventatives for pets living in the Rockies should be skipped.

Heartworm in Aurora, Colorado

There are areas in Colorado that have the climate and moisture needed to support the mosquitoes that carry the disease, as well as the climate to support the lifecycle of the heartowrm larvae.  The Arkansas River Valley and the Grand Junction areas are prime examples.

Getting Heartworm From Outside of Colorado

What many pet owners fail to appreciate is the risk of heartworm infection brought on by tourism.

Naturally, there is the risk of your pet contracting heartworm when he or she travels with you during the summer months. This is especially true if you are traveling to areas prone to the parasite. Thankfully, that risk can be greatly diminished through the year-round use of heartworm preventatives.

Likewise, there is also the risk of your pet contracting the disease when “foreign” animals travel through our state from regions known for propagating the disease. With I-70 and I-25 acting as major arteries of travel across the United States, the odds of a heartworm-infected pet stopping through are high.

Preventing Heartworm and More

Unfortunately, what many pet owners in our area fail to consider (without the guidance of their veterinarian) is that heartworm preventatives prevent more than just heartworm.

The majority of the heartworm preventatives available also include medications designed to remove common intestinal parasites, such as roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms, all of which can cause serious and expensive health conditions to infected pets. It is also important to note that all of these parasites can be transferred to humans through an infected pet. This means that a simple dose of heartworm prevention can ultimately protect more than just your pet, it can protect you and your family as well.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends keeping your pet current on heartworm preventatives year-round, as do we.