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The combination of warmer and wetter weather has brought on flea and tick season early this year, so make sure your pet is protected from these annoying (and, at worst, deadly) parasites.
You can use most flea and tick treatment products from when your kitten or puppy is eight weeks old, says Dr. Ilze Nel of the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH). Follow the packet instructions and don’t share the same product between your dog and cat. “The dose strength is often different and some active ingredients for dogs are toxic to cats,” she says. Treatments vary, too, based on the size of your animal and method of application (oral or topical). If in doubt, just ask, advises Dr. Ilze. “Pick a product that suits your lifestyle, so you can keep to the treatment intervals,” she says.
Regularly check your pet for ticks by running your fingers through their coat, feeling for lumps attached to the skin, says Dr. Ilze. “It is important to search all over the body, in between the toes, around the lips and inside any lip or nose folds, inside ears, underneath the collar and even the tail,” she says. If you find a tick, remove it with a tick removal device, tweezers or by grabbing it with your fingers adjacent to the skin, then twist and pluck it away. Monitor your pet for signs of tick paralysis, which include difficulty standing or moving, rapid breathing, loss of bark/meow, groaning, coughing or vomiting. Paralysis ticks inject a toxin into the bloodstream that can be fatal if left untreated. If you are concerned, call your local vet or a 24/7 emergency animal hospital.
Although fleas aren’t as deadly as ticks, you should still treat your pet year-round. And if their health isn’t motivation enough, think of your home - flea eggs can become a problem. “Ninety-five per cent of the flea life cycle, such as eggs and larvae, occurs in the environment, including your home, with only five per cent represented by the adult fleas you see on your pet,” warns Dr. Ilze. “It takes just one flea to cause an infestation in your home. Once established, it can take months to eliminate, even when you are using effective products to kill the adult fleas.” Aside from the ick factor, Dr. Ilze says, “Fleas can cause skin allergies, which can be difficult to control and will require a visit to your local vet, or even a specialist hospital such as SASH to see a dermatologist.”
Explore more tips, tricks, and products for your pets.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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