Flea and Tick Season is Here: Is Your Pet Protected?

Are you and your pet enjoying our warm, early springtime temperatures? While it’s fun to spend time together outside, remember to keep your pet protected from fleas and ticks. These pests are more than just nuisances – they can cause painful scratching, itching and even serious illness. Is your pet safe?

Flea and Tick Infestations Spread Illness

Preventing ticks from feeding off their host, like your dog, is essential to stopping the spread of diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasma, and ehrlichiosis. Ticks will cling to their host and need to be removed properly to keep your pet safe. You will need to visually check your pet’s fur for a tick. If one is located, call our animal clinic for proper removal instructions, as you must be sure to remove the mouth parts of the tick itself.

Like ticks, fleas can also cause health problems for your pets. Fleas can transmit tapeworms which in turn can cause malnutrition, intestinal irritation, perineal irritation, diarrhea, intestinal blockage and poor coat quality. In addition, a dog suffering from fleas will scratch, itch, and bite at his skin, causing hot spots. This can lead to secondary skin infections and a very unhappy pet!

If your pet suffers from fleas, your home may become a breeding ground for these pests. Fleas can live in carpets and fabrics waiting for a host to pass by, be it human or pet. If your pet has fleas, you will need to treat both your pet and your home by vacuuming and washing your pet’s bedding and using a flea preventative.  

Flea and Tick Prevention from Scarsdale Veterinarians

Our Scarsdale veterinarians recommend easy-to-use monthly flea and tick preventives, such as K9 Advantix, Feline Advantage, or Frontline for both dogs and cats. Just as pet vaccinations keep your pet from becoming ill, these once-a-month topical treatments kill and repel fleas and ticks before they can even attach to a pet’s fur. This helps prevent a pet from bringing fleas and ticks into your home, while protecting your pet’s health. Our animal hospital offers flea and tick medications that are effective, waterproof, and gentle enough for puppies and kittens.

What steps do you take to protect your pet from fleas and ticks?