Keeping fleas away and other parasites!

    Now your home and your pet(s) are flea free, but what about other parasites they can catch? It is always better to prevent your pet(s) from catching fleas or other parasites than having to get rid of them, as you know after reading how much work it is to get rid of fleas.

    Some common parasites your pet(s) can encounter that are preventable with monthly treatment are heartworm disease, ear mite infestation, different types of mange, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Another common parasite that can be prevented is tapeworms. The only way your pet(s) can have tapeworms is if they eat a flea. So, if you are using a monthly flea control product, they will not encounter tapeworms.

   Heartworm disease is the most severe out of all them. They catch the disease from a mosquito biting them. If nothing else, your pet(s) should be protected from heartworm disease monthly. Heartworm disease is treatable in dogs, but it is expensive and tends to be painful for the owner and the pet. If you are interested in reading more about heartworms and the treatment process, here is a good website http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/canine-heartworm.html. Unfortunately, at this time there is no treatment available for cats.


     The other parasites listed above are all treatable, but treatment can be expensive and painful for your pet. If you are interested in learning more, please visit http://www.petsandparasites.org/dog-owners/overview/ or ask me in the comment section listed below.

     After finding out that your pet(s) can be affected by several parasites that can be prevented, why not prevent it from happening, and save time, worries, and unnecessary veterinary bills? Here is a list of some common all in one monthly preventive medications:

Revolution (topical)
Advantage multi (topical)
Trifexis (oral) 

    Each medication can only be purchased at a vet hospital, because your pet(s) have to be tested for heartworms before it is administered. The test only requires 3 drops of your dog’s blood and usually is not too expensive. This is a very important step, because if you give a heartworm preventive to a dog that is already infected, it can cause severe complications, or even death. Although there is no treatment for cats yet, there is a heartworm test for them. Some veterinarians may require your cat to be tested before selling you the heartworm preventive, and others may not.



Please return next week to learn more about keeping your pet(s) happy and healthy.