Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks are more than a nuisance — they spread disease and can make pets seriously ill. The main flea on pets is the cat flea, found on dogs, cats, and rabbits. Flea eggs laid in the fur fall off and develop in your home, so indoor pets can get fleas even if they never go outside, and heavy infestations can cause dangerous blood loss (anemia), especially in small or young animals. The most common problem is flea allergy dermatitis — severe itching, hair loss, and skin infections — the most common skin disease of dogs and cats. Fleas also carry tapeworms and bacteria. Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that spread Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and can cause tick paralysis. Prevention is year-round: use a veterinarian-recommended flea and tick product (rotate flea products if one stops working), since control means killing both adult parasites and their eggs or larvae. Check your pet's whole body with your hands after time outdoors, especially in grassy or wooded areas, and reduce ticks in your yard by clearing leaf litter, mowing, and discouraging deer. If you find a tick, remove it with fine-tipped tweezers close to the skin using steady pressure — no twisting — then clean the area. Call your vet for heavy infestations, intense scratching or hair loss, pale gums, lethargy, or illness after a tick bite.