Treatment for Fleas & Ticks: A Year-Round Pursuit

Flea Prevention

Fleas can cause considerable discomfort for your cat or dog. Some pets develop painful skin irritations and allergic reactions to flea bites. Full-fledged infestations are very difficult to get rid of, sometimes taking months. We recommend that you routinely examine your pets for fleas and use year-round flea prevention. It’s not always easy to spot adult fleas; instead, examine your pet for “flea dirt,” which is actually flea feces. View a video of how to find fleas on your pet here. If you discover you have a flea infestation, it is best to contact us for safe, effective treatments not available over the counter.

To keep your pet and home free of fleas, we suggest:

• Frequent vacuuming and laundering of pet bedding
• Routine examinations for fleas and flea dirt
• Year-round preventive flea medicines (topical treatments are very effective and safe to use)

Ticks & Disease Prevention

Ticks and their bites can spread disease to your pets. Worse still, infected ticks from pets may attach to human owners. For dogs living in North Carolina, one of the most serious and commonplace tick borne illnesses is Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Pet treatment is involved and costly. If not treated promptly, death may result. For that reason, we emphasize tick prevention and make these recommendations:

• Avoid tick-infested areas
• Groom your pet daily
• Remove any ticks immediately

Read more about Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

For animals at high risk, ask us about preventive products (environmental sprays, collars, and topicals).