Oh the smell of warm spring air has finally made its way to our area. Grass is starting to turn green, birds singing their songs, and with that comes other unwelcome guests of spring. Fleas, and ticks lurk right around the corner, and it’s time to make sure your dogs are protected.
Issues Caused By Fleas and Ticks
When a flea bites your dog it can cause many problems such as dermatitis, itching, allergies, tapeworms, anemia, and infections. The fleas buddy the tick, can also cause his fair share of problems for Roofus as well such as paralysis, Lymes Disease, abscesses, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, and Bartonellosis. In warmer weather fleas and ticks can thrive causing many issues. But even in the cooler months fleas can live all over in your household, so it is very important to keep your dog protected.
Treatment Options
There are many different flea and tick treatments available now on the market for protection against the pesky pest. Tablet treatments have gained popularity in the last few years, but pour on treatments are still as popular as before. Nexgard, Bravecto, Credelio, and Simparica, are tablet treatments for fleas and ticks. Frontline, PetAmour, and K9 Advantix are the most popular pour on topical treatments. If you are using a topical treatment make sure you keep other pets, and kids away from the treated dog until the product has dried. Flea and tick collars are not recommended due to the fact that they can be poisonous to children, and other animals.
All-natural products to help rid a dog of a flea infestation are swarming the market these days. Wondercide, and TropiClean are topical and spray-containing cedarwood oil, almond oil, and peppermint oil. These all-natural ingredients are dog friendly and leave out the worry of toxic chemicals that can be used in other flea and tick treatments. Make sure when using any natural flea and tick treatment that any oils that it may contain are safe for cats if you have one.
DIY Flea & Tick Remedy
Here is a home recipe that you can mix up and bathe your dog in to help protect your pup from fleas and ticks:
- 1 Quart Water
- 1 Cup of White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Cup of Baby Shampoo or Liquid Dish Soap
Mix all the ingredients together and bathe your dog once or twice a month to prevent and kill fleas and ticks. Vinegar kills fleas and ticks on immediately.
Special Reminders When Protecting Your Pup
If you are sending your pooch to doggy daycare or are planning on boarding them while you are on vacation this summer here are some reminders that can protect your pup and others when it comes to having them fully prepared.
- Make sure Roofus is treated for fleas and ticks 24 hours prior to entering the facility.
- DO NOT send dogs with flea and tick collars as it can make other dogs sick if they touch the collar with their mouths or nose.
- Topical treatments can cause other dogs to get sick if the treatment is not dry before interacting with others.
Preventing fleas and ticks can be a worrisome task. Always consult a veterinarian before changing your dog’s current flea and tick protocol. And never use any dog flea and tick treatment on a cat as it can be deadly.
You can read more about protecting your pup this spring on Fetch by WebMD, here.