How to prevent tick and flea infestation in your pets is a question that many pet owners ask. Ticks and fleas are parasites that can harm your dog or cats. They transmit diseases that can be deadly. Many dogs die each year from ticks and fleas. Here are ways to prevent them from attacking your pet.
You can prevent ticks and fleas in your dog easily by maintaining clean, dry, well-ventilated areas, especially the area around your dog’s ears. Fleas and ticks breed best in humid, wet areas. You should check for ticks regularly during the summer months and at other times of the year. The best time to look for signs of infestation is late fall through early spring.
There are several options available to help you prevent ticks and fleas in your pet. There are many over the counter products that are safe for use and sold at most pet stores and veterinary offices. The best tick prevention is to prevent them in the first place.
Fleas can easily penetrate the small holes made by ticks on dogs’ skin. If your dog spends a great deal of time outside, you should consider using a tick collar on him or her to discourage fleas. Ticks will often dig into the skin, causing irritation to the skin of the dog. This irritation can lead to an infection. The most common treatment for a tick infestation is the flea dip, which contains a chemical that kills or sterilizes the fleas as well as their eggs.
Another effective method to preventing flea infestation in pets is for the owner to thoroughly clean the pet’s bedding and skin regularly. Ticks love warm, moist environments. Keeping your pet clean will reduce the risk of having a tick infestation. You can also ask your vet for recommendations on what flea control products are safe for your pet.
Many commercial shampoos have been found to be effective for tick and flea control. These shampoos to kill adult fleas, but may not kill the eggs that remain. So, when using shampoos to treat your pets, you should make sure you kill the adults as well as the eggs.
Some dogs suffer from allergic reactions to flea saliva after they have been bitten. For these dogs, topical treatments can help prevent recurrence. The dogs should be given an oral antihistamine immediately following the bite. In most cases, topical treatments work better than oral medications. Cats cannot be given antihistamines because they have a different system of dealing with allergens than dogs.
Tick prevention is more easily achieved if you provide your dogs with a healthy diet, exercise, regular baths and regular checkups. Keep your dogs warm and dry. Remove tick saliva, ticks and fleas as soon as they are discovered. If you see any symptoms, you should immediately seek veterinary care. If you use a good, formulated flea control product, you will greatly reduce the chance of a tick infestation. If you don’t already own one, you should consider a natural flea control product that will not harm your dogs or cause any harm to their skin.
Most vets suggest flea and tick control treatments at least every four weeks during the time that you have your pet. Check with your vet to determine how often this might need to be done. Most vets recommend that you start treating your pets around two to three months prior to your next trip to the vet.
It’s important to recognize that ticks are always there, but your dog can never be too safe. Their greatest enemies are dogs: they can transmit plague to humans and they can transmit Lyme disease. This is a very serious condition that requires immediate attention. Ticks generally live on the skin of animals for only a few days before dying. After they have died, they leave a very small, red tick, which is their body’s form of telling you that it’s time to start treating your dog. If you notice any redness or soreness on your dog’s skin after they have had one or more tick bites, it is time for you to put them on a flea treatment.
In addition to flea and tick treatments, your dog can also be treated with flea shampoos. These can be used as regularly as you wish but should be used at least once a month, no more than twice per year. Because your dog’s skin is so thin, flea and tick treatments may not penetrate as deeply as they could if they were used on a full-grown dog. Using a flea shampoo twice weekly is recommended to give your dogs the best chance of avoiding any problems with fleas.
If you are concerned about ticks and fleas on your dog, you should take precautions to make sure your dog is kept as safe as possible. Check your dog’s bedding, yard, etc. for ticks and fleas and treat your dog accordingly. Some people even place plastic flea traps on their dogs’ beds. This will help prevent the entry of ticks and fleas into your dog’s bedding.