FLEAS & TICKS

Parasites including fleas, ticks, and worms can make your cat or dog sick. However it is possible for you to protect your pet from parasites. Although there is an expense involved in preventing parasite-borne diseases, the cost of preventing an illness is much less than the cost of treating an illness.

Fleas are the most common pet parasites. Fleas can cause problems year-round, but the height of flea-and-tick season is April-August. Because fleas can move very quickly, they can be hard to see in your pet’s fur. One of the easiest ways to determine if your pet is infested is to look for flea dirt in the area where your pets sleeps. Flea dirt has the appearance black specks and when you rub it with a damp paper towel it takes on a reddish appearance.

Fleas can cause your dog or cat to become very itchy, lose their hair, and lose lots of blood. Fleas can also carry tapeworm eggs. Your pet can get tapeworms if they eat a flea that is carrying tapeworm eggs. You can identify If your pet has tapeworms by the appearance of small, hard, seed-like particles where your pet sleeps.

Flea collars, powders, sprays, shampoos, and dips will help to treat a flea problem. Bear in mind that these treatments must be repeated frequently in order to work. The most effective way to prevent fleas is to use a monthly topical ointment. You can kill fleas for one month by placing a few drops of medication on your pet’s neck.

Ticks are another common parasite. Ticks can cause diseases in your pet such as Lyme disease. Some flea treatments also kill ticks. While the easiest way to extract a tick from your pet is to grab it with tweezers and gently pull it out, be sure and pull out the tick’s head and not just the body. Apply rubbing alcohol to the spot after removing the tick.

Hot spots are common in the summertime and are often caused when your dog scratches at ticks and fleas. A hot spot is a moist, red, strong-smelling, infected area on the dog's skin. Check for an oozing, red area if you see your dog constantly scratching the same spot. Treat hot spots by keeping the infected area clean and dry. Begin by cutting all the hair away from the area. This may require a fair bit of hair being taken off but doing so will allow air to reach the infected area and dry it out. Then clean the area. Pour rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, or hydrogen peroxide onto the infected area and pat it dry. Finally, treat the area with antibacterial powder from your vet or dissolve an aspirin in a cup of black tea and apply the tea with a rag. Clean the area several times a day, and ensure that it stays dry.