Spring Has Sprung!

Fleas and Ticks . . . oh My!

The warmer weather brings with it a spike in the fleas and tick populations.  Now is the time to resume applications a good quality flea and tick preventative.  A topically applied product such as Frontline, Biospot or Advantix is a good choice.  Frontline is available by prescription only, from your vet, while Biospot and Advantix can be purchased at most pet shops, including H3 Pet Supply, located at 350 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton. 

Some quick facts:

• Make sure the preventative you choose works to kill fleas during each stage of their life cycle.  Cheaper products only kill adult fleas.  If fleas are present, they will most likely be in all life stages, so in order to break the cycle, they must all be killed.
• Do not use a dog flea medication (or shampoo) on a cat or vice versa.  The formulations and chemicals used for dogs and cats are very different.  Using the wrong one can cause serious illness to your pet!
• When you come in from a walk with your dog, check him (and yourself) thoroughly for ticks.  It usually takes 24 or more hours of attachment for a tick to transmit most of the common tick-bourne illnesses, so vigilance and early removal will reduce the risk.
• The ticks that transmit Lyme Disease are small deer ticks, about the size of the head of a pin.  If you detect one and pull it off (of yourself or your pet), you can bring it to your vet for testing.  This way, you can take proactive measures if the tick is found to have the disease.
• Even cats that do not have access to the outside can get fleas.  This is especially true if you also have dogs, as the dogs can bring them in from the outside, where they can transfer to your kitties.  Humans can also bring fleas and ticks into the household on their cloths.
• Now is also the time to ensure your pets are current with their Heartworm preventative.  Heartworm medication should be administered monthly and is available from your vet.  Several local cases of this serious illness have recently been diagnosed, so please ensure to protect your furry friend from this illness by administering preventative medication.