Creepy Crawlies

Well, summertime is nearly upon us, and this is the season that you need to be extra aware of the parasites that can infest or infect your pet. Here is a little overview of what to look out for, and how to prevent it:

1. Fleas – These little buggers are nowhere near the menace they used to be, thanks to all the newer and better (and safer) pesticides that have come out recently. While you may have a problem with fleas on your pet, keep in mind that for every adult flea that you see, there are several hundred more fleas in different life stages that are in your environment. Adults are easy to kill, and some products can also kill eggs and larvae, but nothing can kill the pupa (cocoon) stage. Flea sprays and shampoos have a quick kill effect on adults, but they have no residual effect. Dips can last for a few days, but if the animal gets wet, the effect is gone. Collars and powders are, as a general rule, pretty worthless. Spot-on products, like Advantage and Frontline, have the best effect. These products will kill fleas and prevent them from infesting the animal for a month, and swimming or bathing (in moderation) will not significantly alter their effect. Beware, however, of some of the “over-the-counter” spot-ons that are sold at pet stores and other retailers. A lot of these products contain the same insecticides that have been used in dips for years, and now they are in a highly concentrated form that can have some pretty toxic effects if the skin is damaged or the pet ingests it. And some of the dog products (and some of the cat products, too, in my experience) can be deadly to cats.
2. Ticks – these pesky little critters are members of the arachnid family, and are usually acquired by pets that are roaming in woods, fields, or other wilderness areas, but wild animals can bring them into your yard, too. They can transmit a host of deadly diseases, such as Lymes and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and severe infestations can cause anemia. Products like Frontline and Preventic Collars are pretty effective forms of tick prevention. Preventic Collars work in a similar manner to Frontline, in that the chemicals in the collar actually spread out on the animal’s skin to cover the whole body, and in controlled studies, Preventic blew Frontline out of the water in tick control. The downside: these collars can’t get wet, and they have to be put on pretty snug. A lot of the other spot-ons tout tick control as well, but caution is urged when using these products.
3. Heartworms – Spread by mosquitoes, heartworms are much more prevalent in the warmer months, when the mosquitoes are out in force. Make sure that you use a good heartworm preventative to keep these guys out of your dog, cat or ferret. Monthly products like Heartguard, Interceptor, Iverhart and Revolution work equally well for heartworm prevention when given as label-instructed. If you have trouble reMEMBERing, or if your dog doesn’t like the monthlies, Proheart-6, the injectable heartworm preventative, offers six months of protection in one dose. Heartguard and Revolution are also labeled for cats. ReMEMBER that it is always better (and considerably cheaper) to prevent heartworms than to treat them. In this area of the country, I can almost guarantee that a dog that is not kept on heartworm prevention will eventually get them.
4. Intestinal Parasites – As the months heat up, dogs are more likely to be introduced into environments where other dogs frequent, and the risk of contracting intestinal parasites rises as well. Most of the heartworm preventatives available will prevent hookworms, roundworms and/or whipworms. However, there are some other parasites that are of concern, like giardia, coccidia and tapeworms, that they don’t prevent. A simple analysis of your pet’s stool by your veterinarian can check for these microscopic stowaways, and your vet can prescribe medication to eliminate them.

So be aware of the passengers that your pets may be carrying, and remember that many of these little creepy crawlies can be infectious to humans as well. Just by regularly using a good quality flea and tick preventative, coupled with a reputable heartworm preventative, you will never have to worry about most of these guys.