For pet owners, beautiful weather means more time spent outdoors with your furry friend. However, it’s also when danger from fleas and ticks are at an all-time high. Before visiting a veterinarian for medications, you can take extra precautions to prevent these tiny parasites from latching and hatching on your pet.

How to Guard Your Pet Against Fleas & Ticks Before Seeing the Veterinarian

Fleas vs. Ticks

Fleas and ticks are easily confused for the other. While both are parasites, fleas are wingless, feed on the blood of your pet, and carry millions of offspring. They can live anywhere on their host for as long as one year, causing significant blood loss and possibly resulting in anemia. Ticks are closely related to spiders. They’re bigger than fleas and have eight legs. Like fleas, they feed on your pet’s blood, but they can be more dangerous due to the variety of diseases they tend to carry. These tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Heartland virus, and tularemia. Unlike fleas who travel around their host, ticks tend to stay in one spot to feed.

Taking Precaution

When it comes to parasites, prevention is key. Fleas and ticks like to hide in dark, moist areas within shrubs, trees, and tall grass where pets often like to wander. Start by maintaining and landscaping your yard to discourage both species from living in these areas. Do not keep your pet’s food and water bowls outdoors, which will likely invite other host animals, such as raccoons, into your yard. Regularly checking your pet’s belly, ears, neck, paws, and tail where fleas and ticks like to invade, will also help you stay ahead of infestations.

Get Immediate Treatment

If your pet has already been targeted by fleas or ticks, it’s best to take them to a veterinarian to receive a treatment plan as soon as possible. This may include using a flea comb and brushing your pet for fleas or carefully removing infected ticks with tweezers. Your veterinarian may also prescribe an oral medication that stops fleas from reproducing or recommend an over-the-counter topical medication that you can apply on directly on your pet’s skin to prevent future eggs from hatching. Disinfecting your home by treating and washing carpets and rugs are common ways to avoidre-infestation.

At Animal Care Center of Fairfield in Cincinnati, OH, your pet care needs are met with full-service capacity at a state-of-the-art facility. From grooming and flea and tick treatment to routine checkups and emergency surgeries, they have everything you need to keep your pet happy and healthy. To help you avoid paying high fees for emergency vet services, extended doctor hours are now offered at their facility. Visit their website for more details about their Healthy Pet Program or call (513) 829-6621 to schedule an appointment with their network of 15 veterinarians.