Many Veterinarians advocate for year round flea and tick control. The basic premise is that it's easier to prevent a flea infestation or transmission of tick born disease than it is to treat existing disease.

The fact that these conditions are not simply irritating and inconvenient for either pets or their people enters into the equation too. Fleas and ticks spread disease.

The other factor to consider is that it's tough to predict the onset of flea and tick season these days.

Continue Reading "Year Round Flea and Tick Control" »

Lots of pet owners are under the impression that fleas and ticks are a “summer problem”. Actually, during the wintertime, these critters are looking for a warm place to live, and your pets fur is the perfect spot. Ticks will crawl or fall onto your pet, attach to the skin and eventually swell up with blood, which is when they can infect your pet.

Continue Reading "Pesky Wintertime Parasites" »

Many pet owners are well aware that fleas and ticks become a big problem during the summer. These critters are looking for a warm place to live, and your pets fur is the perfect spot. Ticks will crawl or fall onto your pet, attach to the skin and eventually swell up with blood, which is when they can infect your pet and pose a serious threat to your pet’s health.

Continue Reading "Tiny Ticks can Cause Big Problems" »

A few months back I talked about the terrible skin issues my little girls were having. Well, its back. But, just on Maizie this time. It is either a skin allergy or premature balding. I don’t know which I would rather her have.

I noticed it a couple weeks ago, the small hairless patch in between her shoulder blades. I didn’t think anything of it, I actually just thought it was where Marleigh pulled some of her hair out during a wresting match. It didn’t seem to be bothering Maizie, so it wasn’t bothering me.

Continue Reading "The Case of Maizie's Missing Hair" »

Summer is a time to enjoy soaking up the sun with your family, two and four-legged. The warmer weather is when our pets are busy exploring the great outdoors and when some parasites become especially active.

You don’t have to take your pet hiking, camping or even through the woods to expose them to fleas. Anywhere animals come into contact with each other – boarding facilities, pet daycare, the park or in your backyard – you can find fleas. They jump on pets and then take a free ride inside where they quickly make your carpet and furniture home.

Continue Reading "The Ferocious Flea - Size Doesn't Matter" »

Poor Maizie and Marleigh can’t get a break lately. I talked last week about the seemingly unstoppable itching my puppies were going through. After taking them back to the vet for the fourth time this month (thank goodness for PurinaCare), my veterinarian wanted to have a sit down with me about the tiny blood-sucking parasites that were more than likely causing my dogs so much grief.

I didn’t realize how much I don’t know about fleas. Did you know a flea can begin feeding within seconds after emerging from its cocoon. Within 24 hours of taking its first blood meal, a flea can begin laying eggs at a rate of 40 to 50 per day – more than enough to infest my entire apartment in no time.

Continue Reading "An Itch They Can't Scratch" »