Help your pets weather the SWARM

Summer is here and with the warm breezes, sparkling seas, and colorful blooms comes a whole host of critters that can harm your pets! Here in Florida, we deal with pests all year long, but even more so in the hot, steamy months when they thrive. It is more important than ever to protect your pet from bites, irritations, and diseases that these tiny troops can cause. Our animal hospital is stocked with the necessary medications to keep your pets safe, all at affordable costs!

FLEAS

  • Fleas are the most common external parasites found on pets
  • Fleas bite the skin and feed on blood
  • Fleas can jump up to 2 feet
  • Fleas can live as long as 12 months
  • Fleas can produce millions of offspring during their lifetime
  • Many pets are allergic to fleas and their bites cause dermatitis
  • Fleas can also cause itching, hair loss and hot spots
  • Fleas can transmit tapeworms to pets

TICKS

  • Ticks are in the arachnid family and feed on blood
  • Ticks bury their heads in their hosts skin and gorge on blood
  • Ticks tend to live in tall brush and grass
  • Ticks can cause
    • blood loss
    • anemia
    • tick paralysis
    • skin irritation and infection
    • Lyme disease (can be fatal if left untreated)
    • Cytauxzoonosis (fatal, no known cure)

MOSQUITOES

  • Mosquitoes are the most problematic parasite because they carry deadly Heartworms
  • Heartworm larvae are transmitted from mosquitoes to pets
  • The larvae travel through the blood to the heart, lungs and blood vessels
  • The larvae grow into spaghetti-like Heartworms
  • Heartworms can grow up to 12 inches long
  • Heartworms clog organs and obstruct blood flow leading to trouble breathing and possible cardiac arrest
  • Heartworms can be fatal if left untreated

PREVENTION

Monthly topical or oral medications are available that kill and/or sterilize fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes when they bite your animal. While these flea/tick preventions are available at supermarkets, Walmarts, and the like, we highly recommend getting them from a licensed veterinarian. Heartworm prevention is only available with a prescription and requires bloodwork every 6 – 12 months.  Whichever product you choose, it is very important not to use products on your cat that are intended for dogs. Cats who have been poisoned by taking flea/tick/heartworm medicine for dogs are a regular occurrence at our animal hospital and many of them do not survive.