Heartworm is REAL
Yes—your dog can get Heartworm in Colorado. It’s a common misconception that, because of the dry climate and the resulting low population of mosquitos, we don’t need to worry about the parasite that is spread by these insects. In fact, Fort Collins was one of the ten U.S. cities with the greatest increase of positive cases of Heartworm this January.
April is Heartworm Awareness Month, and we’re glad to get the chance to highlight the importance of preventing this deadly disease. Heartworms are spread through the bites of infected mosquitos, which leave larvae inside your pet. The worms grow up and live in the heart, lungs and blood vessels of infected animals. This is very serious for pets, as it can result in heart failure, lung disease and even death.
This is one of the reasons we push prevention so hard. In addition, the cost and ease of the preventative treatment are much preferred to reactive procedures. We highly recommend using Heartgard Plus for this preventative care, and even carry it here at Garden Valley Veterinary Hospital for accessibility. Year-round prevention is the best way to avoid those nasty heartworms, so please be aware of what you can do to protect your pets against this potentially deadly disease. We recommend monitoring your pet and having them screened for internal parasites regularly, which can be done be scheduling an appointment online or by calling 970-674-5105.