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Heartworm Disease in Teller County

A common question in Teller County is whether we need to keep our pets on heartworm prevention. Fortunately, due to our cool nights, the risk of this disease here is low but it is not non-existent. Below are some facts about heartworm disease to help you make informed decisions for your pets.

Heartworms are parasites that are spread between animals via mosquitoes. A mosquito gets infected by biting an infected pet, and then over 2-4 weeks the heartworms develop in the mosquito and can then be passed to a new pet. Over the next 4-7 months the parasites develop into the adult heartworms that reside in the heart and blood vessels of our pets. The presence of these parasites can lead to heart disease and heart failure. Fortunately there are medications available to remove these parasites if your pet becomes infected. The treatment, however, can be difficult and life threatening to the pet due to the movement of the dead parasites through the circulatory system. Hence the recommendation is to prevent the disease rather than have to treat it.

According to the American Heartworm Society Guidelines (see excerpt below), heartworms can develop in mosquitoes as long as the temperature stays constantly above 64 degrees for approximately one month. The nights in Teller County often drop below that level at least once in any given 30 day period, but mosquitoes may be found indoors where it may not get that cold. In addition, travel to areas where the temperature doesn’t drop below 64 degrees, including Colorado Springs or Denver, may allow exposure of your pet to infected mosquitoes.

“A climate that provides adequate temperature and humidity to support a viable mosquito population, and also sustain sufficient heat to allow maturation of ingested microfilariae to infective, third-stage larvae (L3) within this intermediate host is a pivotal prerequisite for heartworm transmission to occur. Laboratory studies indicate that development and maturation requires the equivalent of a steady 24-hour daily temperature in excess of 64°F (18°C) for approximately one month. Intermittent diurnal declines in temperature below the developmental threshold of 57°F (14°C) for only a few hours retard maturation, even when the average daily temperature supports continued development. At 80° F (27° C), 10 to 14 days are required for development of microfilariae to the infective stage.”

It is recommended by the American Heartworm Society that all pets over 7 months of age be tested for heartworm disease via a simple blood test prior to initiating preventative medication and once annually even if on preventatives as all currently available preventatives have had occasional failures, possibly due to missed doses.

In Colorado, heartworm prevention is generally given in the form of a once monthly chewable tablet during the months of May through October. The added benefit of most currently available heartworm preventatives is that in addition to preventing heartworm disease, they also often contain products to remove other parasites, thereby effectively deworming your pet each month against common parasites.