Make Sure Your Pet is on Monthly Parasite Prevention

Springtime means nicer weather. It's great for spending time outside with our dogs! And the cats can go out and bask in the sun or hunt. (Side note: I don't advocate having outdoor kitties but I am a realist - there will always be people that have them or cats that simply won't BE indoor cats. So lets take EXTRA care of them - they are exposed to SO much more than pampered indoor cats!) It also means, internal and external parasites. There are a few excellent products out that that protect your pet and YES, your family too!

First of all, the external bugs - fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.  
Fleas can carry diseases (like the bacteria that causes cat scratch fever) and in large numbers, can cause anemia in a dog or cat (esp puppies/kittens!). Ticks carry all sorts of nasty diseases. Where I practice, Lyme is the number one thing we see being transmitted by our tick population. Every day I diagnose at least one dog with it- many are not clinical but have been exposed. Dogs and cats can act as transport vehicles for these bugs and thus expose your family to those same diseases. 

A variety of different ticks

Mosquitoes carry heartworms. I have seen it in this area (as previoulsy discussed) but also remember that many pets are brought up from the south (a hot bed of heartworm disease).  each year to rescue groups. 


I don't work for any drug company, but I will say there is a great product out there that repels all three of those things on your pet. This is available only through your veterinarian. There are a few other ones that work pretty good - except in cases of severe flea or tick infestations.


The bottom line is it easy and SAFE to prevent with a monthly topical preventative.


The internal parasites - including heart worms and intestinal parasites - are also easily prevented with monthly dewormers. These products are very safe and effective.  Some intestinal parasites are zoonotic (they can be transmitted to humans). These tend to be more of a problem in children since they put things in their mouth without washing their hands. Some of these parasites can cause severe problems in humans.  


There is simply no reason why your pet shouldn't be protected!
Remember prevention is usually cheaper and healthier than treatment!


Here is an article that discusses this a little more:
Pets and Parasites