If you have a dog or a cat, fleas and ticks can be a major problem. These parasites can do much more than just make your pet itchy. They can spread serious diseases and cause several conditions. They can even prove to be fatal through the diseases they spread. If you have a pet and need flea and tick prevention, it's time to bring your pet to see the veterinarian. At Doggie Dude Ranch, we have provided pet owners in Ames, IA with flea and tick prevention services for many years.
Ticks and Diseases
A tick bite can irritate your pet's skin and cause pain and itching. It can also spread diseases like tick paralysis. A tick will stay in contact with your pet's bloodstream for as long as it feeds on it. This allows them to infect the blood with various types of bacteria. A tick bite can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, and cause cat scratch disease. Some of these diseases can be fatal, and virtually all can cause serious health problems in pets. You must provide your pet with flea and tick prevention medication to keep them safe from these diseases.
Fleas and Diseases
Fleas don't feed continuously, but they bite often. This creates many flea bites on a pet, and this can lead to anemia because of the loss of blood. Fleas are also fast multipliers, so a single flea can soon be dozens or more. One of the major risks to pets from fleas is the spreading of tapeworms. The bites of fleas are highly irritating and itchy, and this can cause pets to chew at the bites. When they then swallow a flea, they can be infected with these worms. Flea bites commonly cause allergic reactions in pets, called flea bite dermatitis. Flea bites can also cause serious, system-wide reactions that can greatly affect the health of your dog or cat.
Flea and Tick Prevention
There are numerous flea and tick prevention medications on the market today. Some of them also protect against other parasites such as heartworms. These medications are important for every cat and dog to take, even if they are inside pets. Flea and tick prevention medication is often consumed as a chewable tablet that is administered every month or every few months. There are also injections to prevent fleas and ticks in the long term.
See the Veterinarian
Call Doggie Dude Ranch in Ames, IA today at (515) 382-1444 for more information on flea and tick prevention or to schedule an appointment with our veterinarian.