WHEAT RIDGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL’S
Furry Free Press
Parasites and Your Pets
Lisa Mausbach, DVM
In this issue…
• Parasites and Your Pets .................................... 1-2
• Dr. Rai Ko Receives Second Board-Certification .. 2
• Pet Insurance ...................................................... 2
• The Beauty of Lab Work...................................... 3
• Announcements .................................................. 4
At Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital we believe that parasite
prevention is an important and integral part of the overall
wellness of our pets. As veterinary health professionals, it is our
mission to help improve the health of our pets and also to
decrease the risk of transmission of parasites from our pets to
the people that love them. In 2002, the Companion Animal
Parasite Council (CAPC) was formed to help veterinarians and
pet owners complete this goal. At Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, we strive to educate our clients about the importance of
parasite control and to follow the general guidelines set forth
by the CAPC. Following is a summary of important details from
these general guidelines:
Recommendations at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital
• Conduct physical examinations at least every 6 to 12
months or more frequently if needed.
• Prescribe parasite control programs based on local parasite
prevalence and individual pet lifestyle factors. Administration of a broad-spectrum parasite control is preferred.
Control of parasites with zoonotic (the ability of the parasite to transmit from a pet to a person) potential is essential.
• Currently for dogs, Sentinel Spectrum is our heartworm
preventative and intestinal deworming agent of choice.
Sentinel Spectrum contains a heartworm preventative,
flea preventative and intestinal parasite coverage that
includes roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm and
whipworm.
• In the Denver area it is recommended to administer a
minimum of seasonal heartworm prevention and
intestinal parasite control (Sentinel Spectrum or equivalent
product) during the months of June 1st to November 1st.
• Year-round parasite prevention is strongly recommended for pets who:
• Live with young children or immunosuppressed
patients to help decrease the risk of spread of
zoonotic parasites (roundworm and hookworm).
• Go to public pet-friendly areas frequently (dog
daycares, dog parks, public parks, reservoirs/lakes,
etc.) due to the pets increased exposure to parasites.
• Hunt or have eaten deceased wildlife because they
have an increased likelihood to become infected
(roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm).
• Currently, for cats that go outdoors, our recommendation is to deworm annually (at minimum) and as needed. We are currently using Profender which deworms
for roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm and whipworm.
Indoor-only cats are evaluated on a case by case
(lifestyle) basis to assess risk of parasitic infection.
• At this time we currently do not recommend an annual
heartworm preventative for cats in this area. Heartworm testing on cats will be done on a case by case
(lifestyle) basis.
• Conduct annual heartworm testing in dogs. This is required
for use of Sentinel Spectrum.
• Conduct fecal examinations two to four times during the
first year of life and one to two times per year in adults,
Continued on page 2