Fleas and ticks are the small bugs that cause humans and animals big problems. These parasites carry serious zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted to your human family members from your furry loved ones. They’re commonly passed between pets and people in the home and yard. Since we want to cuddle our pets, it’s particularly important that they are on monthly flea, tick, and heartworm control.
Summeridge Animal Clinic is here with some solutions to curb the critters lurking on your pet’s skin. We want you to bond with your pet through affection and attention, and this assurance against pests will keep everyone safe.
Fleas
Fleas are one of the most problematic bugs that affect pets. These vectors feed on the blood of any warm-blooded host including cats, dogs, small mammals, and even you. Fleas can produce hundreds of thousands of offspring during their lifespan. If you have experienced an infestation in the home, you know how hard it can be to rid your place of these parasites.
Signs of flea infestation in your dog or cat include:
- Droppings or dark spots of excrement on the fur and skin
- Flea eggs or nits that resemble tiny white spots, usually on the strands of fur
- Excessive scratching and biting skin
- Rubbing face/head on the floor or furniture
- Loss of fur
- Scabs
- Allergic dermatitis
- Tapeworms
Ticks
Ticks are not insects, but arachnids. Like fleas, they live off of a warmblooded host. Ticks often hide in the folds of skin, inside the ears, under the tail, and in the armpits. In order for the tick to transmit disease, they need to be attached to the host for at least 24 hours, which is why frequent tick inspection of your dog or cat is necessary (especially when they return from the outdoors).
Ticks carry serious illnesses like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, anemia, tick paralysis, and cytauxzoonosis. Symptoms of tick-borne diseases vary, but often include fever, muscle aches, lethargy, and respiratory distress.
At Summeridge Animal Clinic, we offer Nexgard Spectra (an all-in-one solution) as well as Advantage for flea control as effective options in the battle against bugs. Since spring is a great time to consider what parasite control solutions your pet needs, please contact us at (905) 731–1225 to get started.
