Pet Sense (Archives)
FLEAS AND TICKS
Flea and Tick Infestations are the most common parasite problem of dogs and cats in our area. It is estimated that American pet owners spend over 500 million dollars each year on flea and tick products (most of which do not work)! During the past few years much research has centered on studying the life cycle of the various species that attack dogs and cats, in an effort to develop better control methods.
Flea Facts
• 90% of life cycle is OFF pet.
• Fleas prefer blood of dogs and cats instead of people but will bite humans when starved
• Fleas have well-developed hind legs and are capable of jumping 16-36 inches.
• Fleas can survive freezing and can survive without a blood meal for up to 17 months.
• Female fleas may lay 500-5000 eggs during her lifetime.
• Best breeding conditions for fleas to multiply are 65° to 80°F.
• Fleas carry many diseases, such as Bubonic Plague, Tapeworms, and bacterial infections.
• Fleas cause many skin allergies, as well as anemia from sucking blood from its victim.
• Adult fleas live an average of 6 months to 1 year. Flea eggs are white, and hatch in about one week into a white larva that can mature into an adult flea in as little as 3 weeks.
• Fleas are very vulnerable to dry weather conditions. In some very dry areas of the United States, fleas are non-existent.
Tick Facts
• Ticks are skin parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts (such as dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, cattle, small mammals, etc). The bite itself is not usually painful, but the parasite can transmit various diseases.
• Adult female ticks can engorge, increasing their weight by more than 100 fold. After detaching, an adult female tick can lay approximately 3,000 eggs.
• Keep your grass cut low.
• Dips will kill the existing ticks and fleas; however, it won’t prevent ticks from getting back on your dog.
• When ticks are found on pets, pull off with tweezers and then wash your hands. Don’t worry about the buried heads, they will work out by themselves.
• Don’t dispose a tick until you have killed it. Put the tick in alcohol or insecticide to kill it.
• Ticks can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,
Lyme Disease, and Tick Paralysis.
• Use a Preventic Collar, they are the most effective protection against ticks; however, it must be used in conjunction with another product to cover fleas.
• Promeris or Frontline TopSpot Plus (topical or spray) can be used as a monthly treatment for fleas and ticks.
ALL CREATURES FLEA AND TICK CONTROL PROTOCOL
• Flea and tick prevention needs to be used starting in April and continuing through the first freeze in November. When fleas or ticks are present on a pet or in a household after the first freeze, pest control needs to be used year-round.
• We do not endorse over-the-counter flea and tick products. They can be unsafe and are ineffective.
• Ferrets and rabbits with fleas can be treated effectively also with Frontline spray.
What causes heartworm disease?
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs. It is caused by a worm called Dirofilaria immitis.
HEARTWORMS
Heartworms are found in the heart and large adjacent vessels of infected dogs. The female worm is 6 to 14 inches long; the male is about half the size of the female. One dog may have as many as 300 worms.
Adult heartworms live in the heart and pulmonary arteries of infected dogs. They survive up to 5 years and, during this time, the female produces millions of young (microfilaria). These microfilaria live in the bloodstream, mainly in the small blood vessels.
The female mosquito bites the infected dog and ingests the microfilaria during a blood meal. When fully developed, the infective larvae enter the bloodstream and move to the heart and adjacent vessels, where they grow to maturity in 2 to 3 months and start reproducing.
How do dogs get infected with them?
An intermediate host, the mosquito, is required for transmission. Spread of the disease therefore coincides with the mosquito season. Mild winters will have mosquitoes lingering longer; therefore, greater likelihood of your dog getting bitten by a heartworm infected mosquito. It takes a number of years before dogs show outward signs of infection. Consequently, the disease is diagnosed mostly in 4 to 8 year old dogs.
What do heartworms do to the dog?
Heartworms cause disease by clogging the heart and major blood vessels leading from the heart. They interfere with the valve action in the heart. By clogging the main blood vessels, the blood supply to other organs of the body is reduced, particularly the lungs, liver and kidneys, leading to malfunction of these organs. The most obvious signs are: a soft, dry, chronic cough, shortness of breath, weakness, nervousness, listlessness, and loss of stamina. There may also be evidence of weight loss and anemia.
How can I prevent my pet from getting heartworms?
There obviously is NO WAY to keep your dog from being bitten by mosquitoes! However, a preventive medication can be given to dogs which destroys the “baby” heartworms injected into the dog by the mosquito, before they have time to migrate through the body and grow up in the heart of your dog.
There are a variety of monthly preventative medications from chewable tablets to topical liquids. It is recommended that the medication be given year round since our mosquito season is quite variable. Here are some of the products we carry and recommend for you to use:
Heartguard: Heartworm, Roundworm & Hookworm preventative.
Intercepter: Heartworm, Roundworm, Hookworm & Whipworm preventative.
Heartworm/Flea Combos
Sentinel: Heartworm, Fleas, Roundworm, Hookworm & Whipworm.
Advantage Multi (Dogs): Heartworm, Fleas, Roundworm, Hookworm, Whipworm & Mange.
There are many options for preventing this fatal infestation but ignoring the danger is not one of them!
