Here in Colorado we are often asked as Veterinary Professionals.

“Is heartworm really an issue here?”
The short answer is
“ABSOLUTELY!”
We believe there is 2 main causes for the increase of heartworm in Colorado.

Colorado has become a highly desirable place for people all over our beautiful country to visit and create new roots. Our population has increased substantially over the years. As more and more people move to Colorado, they bring their furry friends with them. Many of these canine companions coming from highly infected states such as Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida are not tested or treated before coming here which increases chances of spread of Heartworms to other dogs and cats. It only takes one mosquito to ingest a blood meal from an infected dog then another meal from a non-infected dog to spread the parasite like wildfire.

As the gateway to the Rockies Colorado offers the best hiking, most dog friendly restaurants and breweries, and more pet facilities than many other states, we are one of the most pet friendly states in the country! Our shelters and rescues are very successful at rehoming canine and feline companions. This allows for rescue groups to travel all around the United States, as well as other countries and give pets from high kill shelters a higher chance of being re-homed by bringing them here. While these efforts are amazing and mighty, many of these rescues pets (about 1/3) fall through the cracks of the system of getting checked for intestinal and blood parasites, including heartworm.

Here at Advanced Veterinary Care of Greenwood Village we believe that prevention is key to good health and longevity. With heartworm being one of the most vicious parasites a pet can get we recommend annual testing along with preventive measures. We offer Proheart 6 which is a simple injection that will prevent heartworms and many intestinal parasites for 6 months. We send you reminders to help keep your pets up to date and safe year-round. We also carry monthly tablets/chews for our patients that are not a candidate for Proheart 6.