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Fleas, Ticks, And Heartwoms
Learn the dangers of these pesky parasites and how to protect your dog from them.
Introduction - Read This First!
While you may have other concerns on your mind with your new dog, fleas, ticks, and heartworms should not be ignored! Along with vaccinations, protecting your dog from these common parasites is simple, cheap, and can save you a lot of stress and financial trouble in the future.
Health Risks With Fleas
Fleas are extremely common, and live off your dogs blood to survive. Not only are they itchy, they can carry all kinds of other diseases that can become a serious health concern. They can spread quickly to other dogs and even humans, so take a flea infestation very seriously!
Health Risks With Ticks
Ticks are much easier to spot than fleas, and when they suck a lot of blood can grow very large before falling off. And just like fleas, they are most dangerous because of the other diseases they can spread to your dog.
Options For Flea and Tick Prevention
Topical
These options can usually be obtained without a prescription and are easy to apply. These can stop fleas and ticks fast enough to prevent outbreaks for a month.
Oral
Talk to your vet about an oral flea and tick preventative. These can stop fleas and ticks fast enough to prevent outbreaks for several months depending on the brand.
Collars
Collars can last a long time for prevention, so they are a popular and safe over-the-counter option.
Sprays
Best used for younger or pregnant dogs. These options can be less effective as they can be difficult to administer correctly.
Shampoo
Shampoo treatments do not prevent fleas and ticks, they only kill those that are on your dog. Use these when you need to quickly stop an infestation, but not to prevent one.
Health Risks With Heartworms
Heartworms are an extremely dangerous parasite that can lead to death of a dog if not treated. They are spread by mosquitoes and grow inside the heart and blood vessels of dogs, making it difficult for them to receive adequate blood supply. Make sure to use preventatives for heartworm, no matter where you live.
Options For Heartworm Prevention
All options for heartworm preventatives are by prescription only, as they contain strong anti-parasitic drugs. They mostly come in tablet form and some provide protection against fleas and ticks as well!
Some Cautionary Reminders
You should only obtain heartworm medications from your vet, as using preventatives if your dog is already infected could be fatal.
Using preventatives for one month does NOT mean your dog is protected the next month. Don’t skimp on this!
Additional Resources
Still Have Questions?