Jefferson County Public Health as reported that “a skunk collected in Wheat Ridge near Sheridan and 35th Avenue was infected with rabies, according to lab results from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in early March. Though this was the first wild animal in Jefferson County to test positive for rabies this year, several more have been confirmed.
In 2016, 88 animals in Colorado— both wild and domestic — were confirmed rabies positive by the CDPHE laboratory. Ten of those were from Jefferson County. The vast majority of these were wild animals with skunks and bats being the most common.
The public is strongly urged to vaccinate all of their domestic pets and valuable livestock against rabies and to be sure vaccinations are kept up-to-date. Now that rabies has been found in a terrestrial animal within the county, any domestic animal encounter with any wild animal will be treated like an exposure to a rabid animal. Domestic animals with one expired rabies or without any rabies vaccinations will be classified as high risk and be required to undergo a 120-day quarantine.” Read More ……
This spring the Denver Post reports rabid skunks have been found in Englewood and Lakewood.
We know that some of our clients may have concerns about vaccines. Please know that we have chosen the most advanced vaccines on the market for your pet. They do not contain the preservative thimerosal, which has been linked to human childhood vaccine issues. We also offer your pet additional homeopathic support with any vaccination to help your pets nervous and immune systems integrate the vaccine.
Rabies is a public health issue and is now prevalent in our city and county. We recommend all pets be vaccinated to protect against rabies. We are happy to answer any of your questions or address your concerns. We have provided links to the American Humane Society, the Wildlife Hotline, and scholarly articles about rabies for your education.