Animals and their owners love this time of year! With the arrival of the spring season, everyone, including their pets, heads outdoors. But beware, this also means the arrival of flea and tick season. These annoying pesky pests love your pet just as much as you do.
Ask your veterinarian for the safest information and the most effective preventatives and treatments. The three main things you can do for your pet are prevention, inspection, and action. Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital offers ten tips for flea and tick prevention and treatment for your home and animals.
Use an Approved Prevention Method
Veterinary-approved flea and tick products are the best prevention. Using topical treatments, collars, and shampoos can help keep these tiny pests off and away from your animals. Some pest control companies may also have lawn treatment options that are pet-safe. Just ensure they are before investing in them to protect your pet!
Complete Regular Inspections
Inspect your pets regularly and yourself for ticks and fleas. Check the feet and between the toes, under the legs, on the face, around and inside the ears, and under the tail. If your pet has thick fur, be sure to part the fur during inspections. If fleas are ticks are found, start treating them immediately for the best results or bring them to your vet for assistance.
Take Action Against Fleas and Ticks
Act fast to eliminate the possibility of fleas and tick infestations. Quickly removing ticks and fleas will reduce the risk of bites-related secondary illness. Fleas repopulate quickly, making them a serious threat to any home, and ticks can spread fatal diseases to animals if left to feed on them for extended periods.
Invest in Your Pet's Comfort
Invest in your pets' comfort. Provide an outdoor bed, which also spoils your pet in that they can relax on soft, comfy bedding rather than a hard surface. In many cases, a flea infestation will populate in a pet bed because of the materials used and the frequency in which the animal will use it. To be safe, consider getting a new pet bed after an infestation is cleared.
Review all Product Labels for Safety
Just because a flea and tick treatment is available doesn't mean that it is safe for your pets. For safety reasons, carefully read labels on all medications to ensure that they are made for cats and dogs. For any questions you may have, contact one of our respected veterinarians.
Keep Your Lawn Mowed
Keeping your lawn grass short will aid in preventing patches of endemic tick and flea areas. Also, you should remove any leaf and brush piles from your yard. Fleas and ticks love an unkempt yard because it contains many great nesting and hiding locations that provide adequate moisture levels for them to survive.
Maintain Your Pet's Mane
Fleas and ticks will cover your pets no matter the condition of your pet's fur coat. These tiny insects can move quickly, so be thorough. Check their belly, the underside of arms and legs, and especially their armpits. A flea will leave what is called flea dirt, which is feces. You can test this by putting these tiny dark spots on a wet paper towel, and they'll turn red because it's from your pet's digested blood.
Properly Deal with Infestations
Flea and tick infestations can occur quickly. Treat your surroundings at the same time that you treat your pets. Use laundry soap and hot water to clean all bedding, and give your furniture a complete vacuum. Ensure to empty the vacuum containers outside so that no pest escapes back indoors.
Consider Foggers if Infestations are Severe
Ask your veterinarian for their recommendation on a flea and tick fogger. Ensure all humans and pets are evacuated during this 'fogging' process for approximately 12-to-24 hours. Read warning labels and follow directions carefully for the best safety procedures.
Reach out to a Professional
If the flea and tick infestation is severe enough, professional exterminators may be needed. As mentioned in the first tip, it is vital to ensure that any flea and tick treatments used are pet-safe to protect your pet's health. We can help remove them from the pet while the pest control professionals remove them from the environment.