Spring and Summer are flea and tick season. Along with these troublesome pests come mosquitos and a host of other winged toothy things designed to dine on your best friend. Prevention is the best cure, and we at Sheri's Pampered Pets carry some of the best preventative treatments available.

 

Fleas

Fleas are wingless insects with tube-like mouth parts adapted to feeding on the blood of their hosts. Eggs are laid in batches of up to 20 or so, usually on the host itself, which easily roll onto the ground. As a result, areas where the host rests and sleeps become one of the primary habitats of eggs and developing fleas. Flea larvae emerge from the eggs to feed on any available organic material such as dead insects, feces and vegetable matter. Many carpet manufacturers use a natural-based glue in the manufacture of their product, which becomes an excellent food source for the developing larvae.

Fleas can cause Flea Bite Dermatitis, which is characterised by itching, biting and scratching. These behaviours will lead to skin irritation and discomfort for your pet. This in turn can lead to bleeding, scabbing, scarring and fur loss if left untreated.

 

Ticks

Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass and shrubs where they will wait to attach to a passing host. Physical contact is the only method of transportation for ticks. Ticks do not jump or fly, although they may drop from their perch and fall onto a host. Some species actively stalk the host by foot.

Some of the more common diseases that can be contracted from a tick bite include: Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Southern tick-associated rash illness, Tick-borne relapsing fever, and Tularemia. In our area, Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne ailment. If caught early, prompt treatment can be curative. However, some patients with Lyme disease display symptoms for years despite treatment.

 

Mosquitos

Mosquitos are small winged insects the females of which suck blood from animals and humans, which has made them the most deadly disease carriers known, killing millions of people over thousands of years and continuing to kill millions per year by the spread of diseases. Mosquitoes carry disease-causing viruses and parasites from person to person without contracting the disease themselves. When a female mosquito bites, she also injects saliva and anti-coagulants into the blood which may also contain disease-causing viruses or other parasites. Mosquitos carry diseases such as West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis and Western equine encephalitis in the United States.

 

Preventatives

We now offer Spot On™ Treatments for your pets. Unlike Frontline™, Spot On™ repels and kills mosquitos. We offer Spot On™ for dogs and Bio-Spot™ for cats. A one month supply for dogs is $9.99 and a one month supply for cats is $7.50.

We recommend that you apply the treatment either two days before your pet's grooming appointment or two days after. We also recommend that you have your pets treated with a natural flea and tick shampoo as well, which is not a preventative. It will kill what is already on your pet. It is all-natural: no chemicals or pesticides.