The Round-the-Clock Battle: How to Shield Your Pets from Fleas and Ticks
Between vaccinations, excellent nutrition, daily exercise, and dental care, pet owners have their work cut out for them when it comes to preventing disease. In addition to these basics, year-round flea and tick prevention is of great importance. Not only is a proactive approach to parasites a game-changer for the household and your lifestyle, but has enormous impact on a pet’s long term health and wellness.
Flea and Tick Prevention
The belief that parasite control tactics can slide after summer until spring is not only erroneous but harmful to pet health. Fleas and ticks are incredibly hardy. Unless we experience freezing temperatures during the winter months, these bugs will continue to flourish. Luckily, we have the ability to keep them from harming our pets.
A Look at Flea Eradication
All it takes is one single female flea, and her 50 daily egg drops, to really mess up your day and wreak havoc on your pet. Not only prolific at reproduction, flea saliva can cause a serious allergic reaction in pets called flea allergy dermatitis. Itching and scratching go to serious heights with this condition, and secondary bacterial infections are common occurrences.
Equally frustrating is the fact that flea infestations can take a lot of time and money to correct. Since they also have the ability to transmit tapeworms, it’s best to always lean into prevention tactics rather than hard-to-fix ones.
Topical or Oral Medication
There are many different flea prevention medications that have the potential to stop fleas in their tracks. We can help you find the right product that works for your pet’s age, weight, size, medical history and lifestyle to ensure they are getting the right dosage. Most topical applications kill fleas in a short period of time. Some products are applied to the skin but are absorbed into the bloodstream where they provide protection from within.
Many owners opt for opal flea medications because they have the potential for killing other internal parasites, as well. Win-win!
Tick Trouble
Ticks are incredibly hardy arachnids that lie in wait for prey to walk by. Once they latch onto their prey, this blood sucker can transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and ehrlichiosis within 36-48 hours. Proper tick removal is essential, but the best way to safeguard a pet’s health is with their parasite prevention medication.
Collars, topical medication, and oral pills are among the options for pets. Most parasite prevention medications are full spectrum, and they aren’t designed necessarily to kill one species of parasite over another. We are always here to help owners find the right parasite prevention for their pet’s needs.
Other Bugs to Be Aware Of
Establishing and maintaining a pet’s parasite prevention is a crucial component of responsible ownership. Screening them for heartworm disease and internal parasites is another aspect of care, and our veterinarians are always here to help. Please give us a call at (916) 624‑PETS (7387) with any questions or concerns.