Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital 2009 / Fleas and Ticks: Annoying…and Dangerous

Fleas and Ticks: Annoying…and Dangerous

by Shannon M. Pecora, M.A.

Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital

With March and the passing of winter comes the promise of Spring Break vacations, backyard barbecues, and warmer weather. In other words, our families, including our pets, will get to enjoy spending more time outdoors. Yet this also means that outdoor pests, like fleas and ticks, get to enjoy the warmer weather as well.

Fleas are, of course, a general pain in the neck. Once your home becomes infested, it is not enough to start a topical preventive on your pets and treat your carpets. You’ll have to treat all the upholstery in your home—carpets, furniture, curtains, and often even pillows and bedding. And you may have to repeat all that treatment a few times; successive generations in the flea life cycle (eggs, larvae, adults, etc.) may survive and keep up your home’s infestation. In addition, if your pet ingests a flea, most likely while licking and chewing at the “itchies,” he or she may develop an intestinal tapeworm infection. A simple fecal examination at your vet can catch such an infection.

The other big warm-weather pet pest is the tick. You may be familiar with lyme, a disease carried and transmitted by deer ticks in our area. Humans and pets share many of the same problems associated with this disease, including joint damage, cardiovascular problems, and kidney problems. But ticks in this area can also carry and transmit two additionally dangerous diseases: Ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. These illnesses can lead to anemia, joint pain, spleen or liver damage, and neurological complications. The good news is that all of these diseases, if caught early enough, are treatable by your veterinarian. Look for symptoms such as unexplained joint pain, lethargy, depression, or loss of appetite—especially if any of these occur within the days or weeks after extended outdoor activity.

In the Broadlands, the most popular places for dog walks are forest paths and trails—the most likely places for us and our pets to encounter fleas and ticks. Yet we should also remember that those same pests can even be found in our own semi-wooded or grassy backyards. Since we live in such close proximity to these “creepy-crawlies,” we should take preventive measures to protect our pets and our homes. Ask your veterinarian about the yearly lyme vaccine and begin using a monthly topical prevention, such as Frontline Plus or Advantix. For those who regularly use such products in spring and summer but stop during fall and winter, March is perfect time to start up again. And don’t forget topical prevention for your cats as well, especially if they ever go outside. Also, a protected dog in the household may still bring a parasitic infestation to an unprotected indoor cat.

So, while infestation and disease caused by fleas and ticks may be treatable, we can—and should—help prevent them before they start. It’s easy to add a flea and tick preventive to the same monthly routine as heartworm preventive; make sure that you have both on hand as we head into the spring and summer months. Not only will that help keep your pets safe and comfortable, but it will also help save you the trouble of cleaning up an irritating and potentially dangerous pest mess!