Summertime Pet Care

Soon we will be enjoying the warm temperatures that come with summertime. But, with warmer temperatures come an influx of the following problems:

Fleas...

They’re everywhere. Not only are they a nuisance to our pets, but they can cause medical problems including flea allergy dermatitis, tapeworms, secondary skin irritations and, in extreme cases, anemia. Although bites are rarely felt, it is the flea saliva that causes skin irritations and, at times, open sores from constant scratching. Some pets can be allergic to the saliva and suffer with flea allergy dermatitis.

Where are they?

Their natural habitat is your backyard, soil, dirt crawlspaces under the house, shrubs, and sand boxes. When they detect vibrations (pet and people movement) heat, noise, or carbon dioxide they are stimulated to jump onto a potential blood source. They have a three-foot jumping radius

How do they multiply?

Fleas require a blood meal to survive and they’re not fussy about who feeds them, so they’ll bite either you or your pet, but they typically prefer your pet because they can hide under your pets’ hair. After receiving a blood meal the female flea can lay up to 60 eggs per day up. Eggs loosely laid in the hair coat drop out most anywhere outdoors where the pet rests and indoors, where the pet sleeps. Rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, cat or dog boxes, and kennels act as indoor incubators. Eggs hatch in two days to two weeks into larvae and can be found indoors in floor cracks & crevices, along baseboards, under rug edges and in furniture or beds. In addition to being uncomfortable, a pet with fleas will often develop tapeworms, which can result from ingesting a flea.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme Disease is a tick-borne illness. Ticks perch on the top ends of grasses and other vegetation and await the approach of a prospective host, again sensing its arrival by the vibrations of a footstep. Ticks do not hop like fleas, but rather use their four pairs of legs and crawl onto their hosts. It’s primary objective is to feed off the blood of the host by biting. Immediately after a tick attaches itself to a dog, the bacteria begin to reproduce in the area surrounding the bite. Soon afterward, the pathogens move into the bloodstream and the early signs of Lyme disease will usually become evident within four weeks of infection. Immediate veterinary consultation is warranted if any of these signs-fever, lethargy, poor appetite, swollen joints, lameness or swollen lymph nodes-are observed in a dog during tick season. If the infection is treated immediately, the prognosis is usually good. However, if the condition remains undiagnosed for a lengthy period of time, the resulting tissue damage may be irreversible. It can lead to a variety of chronic cardiac and neurological conditions.

Finally, what would a Western New York backyard barbeque be without mosquitoes?

Most often they’re simply a nuisance. To humans, mosquito bites are itchy, and uncomfortable, but the swelling and discomfort usually dissipate in 3-5 days. However, if a mosquito bites your dog, and it’s carrying Heartworm Disease, it can be fatal, if left untreated.

The good news is...there is prevention available for all of the above?

You can protect your pet from all of these problems with a simple monthly application of a new flea, tick and mosquito control called Vectra 3-D.  For a small dog, one application made onto the skin located at the back of the neck can protect your pet from these pests.  If your dog is larger than 21 pounds, we recommend placing the contents of the tube in a 3-4 areas down the backbone.  We also carry Vectra for cats, which is applied in the same manner, directly onto the skin on the back of the neck.  Its a simple, inexpensive and convenient way to protect your pet.