Flea and Tick Prevention: A Complete Guide by Animal Hospital Kingston

 Flea and Ticks: When it comes to keeping your pet healthy and happy there are many different things to consider. Pest control may not be at the top of your priority list in the early days of pet ownership but protecting your four-legged family member from parasitic infections is one of the responsibilities that should be addressed as soon as he has settled into your care. 

Flea and Ticks

Two of the most common parasites to infect domestic pets in the U.S. are flea and ticks prevention. Both are small, wingless creatures that live on the outside of your pet’s body, surviving by drinking his blood. Not only do parasites consume the blood of your pet, potentially putting him at risk of anemia, they also carry a whole range of different diseases, including: 

  •  Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever 
  • Anaplasmosis 
  • Ehrlichiosis 
  • Babesiosis 
  • Bartonellosis 
  • Mycoplasma haemofelis 
  • Typhus 
  • Cat scratch disease 
  • Tapeworms 
  • Lyme disease 

Some of these diseases can be passed to humans living in your household, and all can make your furbaby moderately to severely unwell. In some instances, they can even prove fatal. 

fleas-and-tick-medication

The good news is that fleas and ticks are entirely preventable! That’s right, although both of these parasites are very common, with the right pet pharmacy Kingston preventative medication and by taking steps to make your home inhospitable to these creatures, you can help ensure that your furbaby remains safe from fleas and ticks. 

Fleas 

Fleas are a particularly prolific type of parasite. One female flea lay about 50 eggs a day. The eggs turn into larvae which then incubate for a couple weeks and when the temperature is right, they mature into adult fleas and those fleas start to reproduce. Before you know it, your home and pets are infested with fleas. Your favorite dog park or dog beach is likely to be infested as well. 

A flea infestation can be seen by the “flea dirt” on your pet’s coat. This will look like fine black grime that will dilute red in the water. You may also notice skin irritation, hair loss, pale gums, tapeworms, or excessive licking, biting, or scratching. 

fleas-and-tick-medication1

Prevention is better than cure 

It is always much easier (and much more cost-effective!) to try and prevent fleas and ticks than to treat them. This is particularly true when you consider fleas, which can dominate your home environment in just a matter of days! This is because fleas reproduce at a rate of around 40 eggs per day. The entire flea lifecycle takes just 22 days, which is shortened to 12 if the conditions are perfect, so it is imperative to get on top of an infestation as soon as you spot one. Even then, it can take an average of 3 months before your home is completely flea-free.

Flea and Ticks

Types of preventatives 

There are a huge variety of preventatives available in many different forms, including: 

  • Oral medications 
  • Spot-on treatments 
  • Shampoos and dips 
  • Sprays 
  • Collars 

Which is right for your pet will depend on her species and size, and it is essential that you choose the right one, otherwise it could prove ineffective. In the case of oral medications, the wrong dosage could make your pet sick, or even prove deadly. 

Different pet preventative services in Kingston also have different protection timelines, so it is crucial that you take note of this and follow up with further treatments as per the recommended timescale. Not doing so could leave your pet vulnerable to infection. 

Examine your pet daily 

Fleas and ticks can be difficult to spot, but early identification is recommended so that you can deal with the problem quickly, and in the case of fleas, before the infestation doubles or even triples in size. 

Flea and Ticks

For ticks, check all over his body for small, round creatures that may be between the size of a pinhead and a fingernail. This is because they swell with blood. They range in color from pale to dark. If you spot one, remove it immediately using sterilized tweezers, being careful not to get any blood on your pet’s skin or yours. 

Fleas are harder to spot, but you may see flea and ticks dirt. This is flea feces that look like specks of dirt buried in his fur. If you put some on a damp tissue it will smear red as it contains blood. If you find flea dirt or see a live flea, start treatment immediately. 

PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY 

Fleas and ticks can invade your property too, and flea and ticks especially are more than happy to be uninvited and very resilient housemates! A fastidious cleaning routine can help keep them at bay. Vacuum daily, particularly under furniture and in small, dark crevices where these parasites might be hiding. Don’t forget skirtings and soft furnishings, both of which are comfortable spots for fleas to hang out. 

At GRAH, we have a diverse and talented team of Veterinary professionals. You can trust the skills of our vets, leaving the care and treatment of your pet in their capable hands. Let us earn your trust by becoming one of our veterinary families at GRAH.  

Schedule A Pet nutrition service in  Kingston Appointment with One of Our Best Veterinarians Today 

Popular posts from this blog

Pet X-Rays - Naturally Guard Pets From Radioactivity And Other Product Toxins

Image
  Petco's review of hardened steel bowls has exhibited exactly how effectively our pets (and. people) can be presented to radioactive materials, substantial metals, synthetic compounds and different impurities without our monitoring it. A large number of these toxins can stay in the body and develop with a rehashed introduction, prompting future medical problems. At GRAH, we have ultramodern facilities for taking abdominal Pet X-Rays . We are providing the best x-ray service in Kingston 7 days a week. Others may pose more immediate danger, such as mycotoxins. While it’s intended to provide perspective, I’m not at all comforted by radiation exposure comparisons to x-rays or other frequent exposure. The way that an x-beam can cause premature delivery, absconds, cerebrum harm or leukaemia during pregnancy reveals to us that it isn't as innocuous as it sounds. The constant, unknown danger is why our family first explored natural methods of reducing the risk associated with ...
Read more

Animal Worm Prevention - Feline Heartworm Disease

Image
Heartworm illness is a condition regularly connected with canines, yet it tends to be found in felines just as numerous other warm blooded animal species. At the point when a feline gets tainted with heartworms, which can grow up to around one-foot long, extreme lung and coronary illness can create. At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality  Parasite Control Service . We are known as one of the best Flea, Tick and Heartworm prevention vet clinics in Kingston open 7 days a week. Sadly, this is regularly lethal. Contaminations are sent from pet to pet through mosquito chomps, and heartworm illness has been analyzed in pets in different states. In this way, preventive consideration and information is fundamental for keeping your catlike buddy sound. Heartworm disease is less common in felines than in canines. Felines are more impervious to heartworm illness than canines, yet it is as yet a huge danger for felines. Additionally, heartworm disease is often underdiagnosed in c...
Read more

Pharmacy Service: Where you purchase your pets’ pharmacy items matters

Image
  Just like humans, animals get sick. But some veterinarians at Gardiners Road Animal Hospital are warning pet owners to use caution when buying medications for their fur babies. The rising costs of owning a pet has some owners looking online for cheaper Pharmacy items, but instead of making things better, vets say online products could lead to even bigger problems. At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality  Pharmacy Service . We are known as one of the best dog pharmacy vet clinics in Kingston open 7 days a week. “There are counterfeit products available and the boxes are very similar,” veterinarian at Animal Hospital in Kingston said. Veterinarians also say the problem is that some online pharmacy items haven’t been verified by a licensed practitioner, meaning there is no way on knowing what is actually in the product. We’ve had clients that have ordered various Pharmacy items and then brought them into us saying ‘oh it looks a little different t...
Read more