The culprits are so small you can barely see them. But these tiny pests can literally drive your pets crazy. The horrid little blood suckers we know as fleas and ticks itch our animal buddies like mad. Plus, they can transmit dangerous diseases to you and your pets. It’s perfectly normal to act with disgust towards these pests.
If you’re anything like me, you will want to get rid of fleas or ticks as quickly as possible. The good news is that both of these harmful bugs can be treated more easily than you might think. Read on to find out what you can do if your beloved best friend has succumbed to an infestation.
The Dangers of Ticks
Ticks aren’t only a threat to your pets. They can affect your own health as well. One of the most common diseases they transmit to humans is Lyme disease, which can become a long-term, debilitating condition. Nowadays, ticks are a year round problem, so they’re ready to drive your pets crazy twelve months a year.
Ticks can be as small as the head of a pin, making them difficult to spot if you’re not specifically looking for them. Pets like cats and dogs attract these mini hitch hikers while they are outside, particularly in long grass. It is always a good idea to check your pets’ coats regularly to be on the safe side. Once embedded, ticks can be tricky to remove. Get help from your vet, who will know how to tweeze the insects out without leaving any bits behind.
The Dangers of Fleas
Fleas can also spread bacterial diseases, and many pets have a flea allergy – which will drive them insane with itchiness. Having a serious flea infestation on your pet could turn them anaemic, especially if they are young or small. This is because they are sucking out a lot of your pets’ vital fluids.
Animals who are sensitive to flea bites can go on to develop allergy dermatitis, which causes irritated skin and hair loss. Once the fleas have had all they want from your pet, they are just as likely to jump on to you and continue to bite you until they are treated. This can extremely unpleasant to day the least.
Conventional Pest Treatments
To remedy fleas and ticks, the old school methods were messy and involved sprays, dips and powders. Not only were these inconvenient for pet owners to use, some of these products were not safe solutions for animals. This led the EPA to act and produce a new generation of flea and tick products such as tablets and spot on treatments. These are much more convenient, and very safe if you use them correctly.
The liquid spot on is easy to use, and comes in handy applicator bottles. Once a month, you squirt this medication in between your pet’s shoulder blades. If this doesn’t suit your animal companion, you can switch to the flea and tick tablets. Or you could invest in a flea collar for more prolonged prevention.
What Else You Can Do
There are a number of things you can do as a pet owner to stop these pests from driving your furry friend crazy. Take a look at some of the ideas below.
- Talk to your vet – If you don’t fancy using over the counter flea and tick products on your pet, or if they are sensitive to certain medications, then go to your vet. You should also get advice from your vet is the infestation is large. Your vet knows your pet best, and will be able to give you the right treatment.
- Never miss a month – Don’t think that just because it’s colder that these pests will stop infesting your pet. Ticks are known to survive under blankets of snow, so it’s important to keep up any pest treatments all year round.
- Treat your home – If you have had a particularly bad flea or tick infestation, they’re probably in your home too. Soft furnishings and carpets will need to be treated for pests by a pest professional like Diamond Pest Control to make sure your pet doesn’t catch them again (and it stops fleas from jumping all over your house too). Some pest control companies use heat treatment for fleas, which is non-toxic and pet-friendly.
- Use a flea comb – Flea combs are relatively cheap to buy. They can help you catch the signs of an infestation before it gets out of hand. Make sure to brush your pet at least once a week. And keep your eyes peeled for any critters lurking in their fur.
Final Verdict
Remember, Prevention is better than cure. So, I will suggest that you should care you pet before being affected. But if the pet is affected somehow take the step immediately because this pests grow very fast.
Rachel F. Bonilla
Rachel F. Bonilla is a writer and pet parent who has 5 years of experience in pet blogging. Her work also appears in different famous platform like pethealthnetwork.com. she also writes about pregnancy and family life. Find and follow her on Twitter @rachelfbonilla.
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