Spring is the time of year when many dog and cat owners start thinking about parasite protection.  Internal and external parasites can pose a serious health risk for our pets, but how do we know which ones are a particular danger in our geographic area?

The Companion Animal Parasite Council has created a series of parasite prevalence maps for the United States and Canada.  This makes it easy for pet owners to find out what kind of parasite prevention measures are important where they live.

Click HERE to access the parasite prevalence map page of the CAPC website.  From this page, you can find out about how common certain parasites are in your geographic area.

You can check for tick borne diseases (Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis), intestinal parasites (roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and giardia), canine and feline heartworm, and even the feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency viruses.

The map data will tell you how many cases tested positive out of all the animals tested for these diseases.  You can even zoom in on your state and get a detailed map of your county data!

Is your dog or cat living in a high-risk area for certain parasites?  Be sure to talk to your veterinarian about the best parasite prevention and treatment measures.