and   TICKS are likely to attack your pets during spring , summer and fall!  Every year, from March through September, we see the emergence of two of the most common types of parasites that affect dogs and cats (and even people!), namely fleas and ticks.  Here in the Midwest, ticks begin to appear early in the spring months--normally March or April--on our pets and ourselves.  These ticks can continue to be a problem throughout the year, but often seem to taper off during the hottest part of the summer and begin to disappear in September.  Fleas, however, normally don't emerge until around mid March and can not only last all summer long, but even into fall and if it doesn't freeze--even into winter!

The Flea Facts:
      Flea infestations are the number one skin problem that plague our pets throughout the year and can affect us as well.  Fleas are small insects that can, for their size, jump great distances to reach their favorite food sources, namely dogs, cats, and even people.  Once on the host (in this instance, let's say your dog), the flea crawls through the jungle of hair down to the skin and feeds on your dog by biting and sucking small amounts of blood.  The flea doesn't stay at one place for long to feed, but continues to scurry around at skin level to avoid your dog's scratching and biting.  One flea can then lay dozens of eggs at one time which fall off of the dog and into the environment (i.e. your carpet and yard).  Eventually, these eggs will hatch and grow into new, hungry fleas.  The whole cycle can take as little as 2-3 weeks.  In fact, one female flea can lay over 2000 eggs in her short lifetime (30-60  days.)
     Fleas will usually be seen on the stomach and/or back half of your pet around the base of the tail.  Hair loss or black specks of "flea dirt" may be seen in this area as well.  Severe flea infestations can consist of literally hundreds of fleas on one pet, which can collectively suck enough blood to make small dogs and cats very anemic--sometimes even sick enough to require blood transfusions.  Some dogs and cats are extremely allergic to the saliva of the flea, and even the bite of one flea can make these animals dig at themselves relentlessly for up to 2 weeks.  Remember, just because you don't see any fleas on your itchy dog doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't have any.

Prevention Choices (check table below)
      There are many different choices available to the consumer that can kill and prevent fleas.  With the wide variety of new and different products on the market, it can become quite confusing.  Sprays and dips used to be the best way to deal with fleas.  Though many will kill what fleas are on your pet today, they rarely give any additional continued protection for tomorrow.  Flea and tick collars have been widely used in the past, but in general are deemed ineffective now.  The fastest growing type of flea preventatives these days are the "spot-on" type of products.  These treatments consist of placing a few drops of a liquid on the back of your dog's or cat's neck.  The liquid will spread over the entire skin of your pet within 24 hours and will kill fleas on contact for upwards of 30 days at a time.  Once a month application of these products can help your dog be flea-free.  But be careful!  Over the counter products (those NOT from a veterinarian) may be 1/3 of the price, but generally only work 1/3 as well and do NOT spread over the entire pet.

       For dogs, there are also two flea preventatives that are oral medications.  Instead of a topical that goes on the back of your dog’s neck, a once a month pill is all that you do.  Sentinel® keeps flea populations under control by sterilizing a flea so it can’t lay eggs that hatch.  Sentinel® also works as your dog’s monthly heartworm pills as well.  Comfortis® is also a pill given once a month, but it actually kills fleas within 4 hours of being taken and last for 30 days.  It’s best to decide for yourself which preventative is best for you.

Tick Facts:     
 
Ticks are another big concern in the Midwest during the summer months.  Ticks are actually more closely related to spiders than to insects.  They don't jump on their hosts like fleas, but rather hitch a ride on one by grabbing the hairs as your pet walks by.  The tick then crawls its way to the skin where it "latches on" to the host with its powerful mouthparts and stays attached to the dog or cat while feeding.  Ticks are not mobile while feeding and can be easily removed with a pair of tweezers.  Grasping the tick's head as close to the pet's skin as possible, slowly pull the tick straight out.  NEVER try to burn ticks out, as you could cause serious injury to your dog or cat.   Many people have heard that it is very important to make sure you get the entire tick's head out of the dog while pulling the tick off.  In actuality this is a bit of an exaggerated falsehood.  Though it is ideal to get the whole tick out in one pull, if the head does break off under the skin of the pet, it's not really a problem.  The dog's own skin surface will slough the head out of its skin, and no harm will likely come of it.  Another big concern we hear a lot about is that of Lyme's Disease and other Tick borne diseases.  Though Lyme's Disease is considered a serious tick disease in people--especially those North and Northeast of us it is not very common in this part of the country.  Other type of tick-borne diseases can be of concern to your pet and even you:  Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis and Tick Paralysis are potentially serious diseases that are seen in the Midwest.

Prevention Choices (check table below)
     Luckily, we have some of the same defenses against ticks as we do against fleas.  Once again, many of the over the counter products don't work well against ticks.  Frontline Plus® and K9 Advantix® both protect against fleas and ticks on the dog.  However, only K9 Advantix® is able to help repel the ticks before they can attach.  On another note, K9 Advantix is also licensed to repel mosquitos and biting flies. K9 Advantix, however, is ONLY FOR DOGS and should never be put on cats.  For cats, only Frontline Plus® is safe to use.

 ¹ Kills flea eggs, larvae, and adults. 
 ² May take up to 24 hours to kill ticks on pet.
 ³ Kills fleas in less than 4 hours after first dose.
 ⁴ Given as a once a month pill.
 ⁵ Kills and repels ticks before they can attach. 
 ⁶ Kills and repels Mosquitos and biting flies as well.
 ⁷ Prevents ear mites and sarcoptic mange as well.
 ⁸ Does not kill a single flea, just sterilizes them to control flea population. 
 ⁹ Prevents roundworms, hookworms, & whipworms as well.

     Ticks and Fleas are parasites that plague our pets, homes, and even ourselves.  They can at worst make our pets very sick, and at best cause them great discomfort.   Luckily, we have some very good products that if used correctly can kill the fleas or ticks our pet already has, and can prevent our pets from getting infested in the future.  All of the products listed above are available at the Gladstone Animal Clinic and any further questions concerning which product is right for you can be answered.  Let's not give fleas and ticks a biting chance this season, contact us and get your beloved dog or cat on a flea and tick preventative right away!