Good Hope Animal Hospital - Mechanicsburg PA

Where Little Paws Meet Trusted Hands

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Flea & Tick Free is the Way to Be!

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Written by Heather Sinn, Office Manager

 

The weather will soon be getting warmer and with spring just around the corner, be sure to have your pets protected against fleas and ticks. Not only is it important to treat your dogs who go outside to relieve themselves and to go on those long awaited walks around the neighborhood, but it is equally crucial to treat your cats who stay indoors all year round. If you’re like most multi-species pet owners, we all think of treating the dog, since they will be outside a lot, and around other dogs at the dog park, but many pet owners don’t always remember to treat the cat who spends their day lounging inside and soaking up the sun from their favorite window perch. Even if the cat never sets a paw outdoors, they are still at great risk of being a walking buffet for hundreds of hungry fleas.

If you have ever had a flea infestation in your home, you know that they don’t just affect your pets, but they affect your entire household, including your family. The best way to protect your pets and your home is to use a good monthly flea and tick preventative such as Frontline Plus. If you apply the treatment regularly every month, your pets will be able to go outside to play, take long walks through the woods, and come home confident that they are protected against those pesky little critters that we all cringe to think about. Fleas and ticks are not uncommon, and your pets are able to pick them up just by walking by a raccoon’s favorite hideout, or exploring the tall grasses or wooded areas, so please don’t think you’re doing anything wrong.

Do an at-home evaluation of your pet – part the hair and look closely at their skin…if you see little black specks, this is the telltale sign that they have fleas, as these little black dots are flea feces. Also comb through their fur with a flea comb to check for live fleas – they love to hide on their underside and around their inner hind legs. To inspect your home, look in their pet beds and favorite sleeping spots to check for flea dirt or even live fleas. If you notice evidence of fleas or an infestation, give our office a call for some advice on how to manage the situation.

After your dogs has been outside for their afternoon walk, or out playing with the neighborhood dogs, we recommend you take a good look for any ticks on their fur and skin when they come back indoors. Early tick removal is a great way to prevent or minimize the transmission of disease. If you find a tick feeding on your pet, the first thing to do is… don’t panic. Then remove the tick by firmly grasping it as close to your pet’s skin as you can and gently pull up on the tick with one continuous twisting motion to pull it out, making sure you get the entire tick out, including the head. It is a good idea to use a pair of tweezers to get a hold of the tick, but be careful not to squeeze too hard. After removing a tick from your pet, keep an eye on the area where you removed it, and be sure to call us at the first sign of any infection, or if you notice a change in your pet’s behavior.

 

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How To Rid Your Pet Of Fleas

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How can we rid our pets of fleas?

Fleas continue to be an important problem of animal husbandry despite the advances in flea-control products. Using conventional insecticides, one must address fleas on the pet, in the house, and in the environment, a three-pronged approach.

Dips are not safe when used often enough to be effective. Flea collars are not generally useful, and sprays must be applied regularly to have maximum kill. The yard products, such as organophosphates, should help eliminate environmental fleas. You may wish to treat the shady areas of the yard, under bushes and trees, where ultraviolet light does not penetrate, especially if the pets lie there. You did not indicate whether the animals enter the house or garage, or if they go in the car, but all areas that your pets visit must be treated, especially with growth hormone regulators. The entire environment and the pets must be treated concurrently; the clean, flea-free animals must be housed in a flea-free area while the premises are treated. After vacuuming the area rugs, be sure to throw the vacuum bag away.

Despite the apparent expense of the new, topical products such as Frontline or Advantage, these products have proved themselves highly effective in such situations. They should be safe for all members of the household. Please discuss their utility with your veterinarian. He or she will assess your situation and customize a flea-control plan for you as economically as possible.

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How To Know If Your Pet Has Fleas

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A flea is a tiny, laterally flat, wingless insect that subsists on the blood of its host.  Fleas have long legs that enable them to jump tremendous distances and they can quickly crawl through your animal’s fur.  Check your cat or dog frequently for fleas by brushing them over while they are standing over a white sheet or towel; flea feces — small, black flecks of digested blood — will fall off easily, indicating the presence of fleas.  A flea comb with very fine teeth is helpful for removing flea debris and may remove some adult fleas if enough are present.

Most fleas congregate over the rump and tail area of the pet.  If evidence of fleas is noted, the animal should also be checked for tapeworm segments, which appear as cream-colored, rice-like segments stuck in the fur around the anus or in the feces. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations concerning flea control and prevention.