Helping you make informed choices
Mosquitoes, fleas and ticks can be found throughout our region. A variety of preventives are available to help protect your pet.
Fleas, ticks and mosquitos can cause health problems for pets and their humans. These insects, known as vectors, carry and transmit many organisms that can cause disease. Most commonly in our area:
- Mosquitos transmit heartworms
- Fleas can carry and infect pets with tapeworms
- Ticks infected with the Lyme spirochete, Borrelia burgdorfi, can transfer this organism to dogs and humans
Many medications are available to help protect your pet from problems caused by parasites. These products can be administered in different ways:
- Topical, or “spot on” products—small amounts of liquid that are applied once a month to the skin at the base of the neck—are the most popular
- Sprays or powders
- Oral products taken by mouth
Some preventives address more than one problem. For example, one product kills fleas and mange mites and prevents heartworm and roundworm infection. All of these products have their own risks and benefits. We will take time to help you understand all your options and make the choices that are best for you and your pet.
What to expect
When we examine your pet for the first time, we will review parasite prevention. We will recommend a schedule for parasite testing and suggest a parasite prevention program based on your pet’s test results, overall health, lifestyle and other factors. If your pet has parasites, we can discuss treatment options and suggest ways to control parasites in the future. For your convenience, we can dispense parasite preventives from our pharmacy. If you choose to purchase the medications elsewhere, some preventives require a prescription, which we will provide.
CAUTION: Some preventives have very specific guidelines for use. For example, Advantix is only for dogs and should be used with caution if you have a cat in the house. This product can be toxic if the cat licks the area where it is applied. In addition, we have seen many cases of poisoning with the use of over-the-counter products that are not veterinary approved.
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