By Dr. Jonathan Alford
Things are warming up outside, and with that means parasites are an increasing threat to the health and comfort of your pet. Some of these parasites can also be a concern for human health, especially children, so you may want to consider some options with your veterinarian to keep your pet and family protected.
Fleas are one of the most common parasites of dogs. Not only are fleas a nuisance to dogs they can often be the source of allergies, cause anemia, and transmit parasites. There are many products out on the market for prevention of fleas, but they are not created equal. Many are even toxic and harmful to our pets. Gone are the days of flea collars and flea shampoos and good riddance. These remedies are out of date and not nearly as effective as topical now available.
Prescription flea products, available through veterinarians, are the safestand most effective treatment/preventive for fleas. When using these products it is important to understand that adult fleas that you can see on your pet only account for about 4% of the flea population. The other 96% of the flea population are in the egg, larval, or pupaestages and are in the environment (carpet, bedding, yard, etc.). This means that even if you are applying a product monthly to an animal in a flea infested environment you may still observe fleas on your dog before the product kills the fleas. This is because these fleas are constantly emerging from the environment and getting on your dog. Foggers indoors and yard sprays my help decrease fleas in the environment and improve success of treatment. It is also important to use a non-detergent, soap-free grooming shampoo for bathing when using topical flea products to avoid removing the product from the dog. Treatment of ALL animals is also important because an untreated dog or cat can serve as a reservoir host for fleas. This is even true if you have an animal that never goes outside because fleas can be carried in on clothing or other animals.
Ticks can transmit a variety of diseases to dogs and humans through blood meals. Some of these diseases include: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountainspotted fever. Many of the topical prescription flea products are also effective against ticks. Some of these products have an ingredient that actually repels ticks and prevent attachment, thus decreasing risk of disease transmission as well.
Heartworms are a parasite of dogs and cats that are transmitted by mosquitoes. An infected mosquito transmits the larval stages of the parasite with a blood meal. The larvae travel through the bloodstream where they develop into adult heartworms in the heart of their host. Adult heartworms cause a variety of complications for their host including cough, lethargy, exercise intolerance, and death. Dogs and cats do not have symptoms in the early stages of disease when treatment for heartworms would be the least risky. Treatment for heartworms is expensive and risky for the patient. The good news is prevention is simple, inexpensive, and effective. Prior to beginning a heartworm prevention program it is important to make sure your dog is not already infected. This can be done with a simple in house blood test.