Each fall many pet owners question whether they really need to give their cat or dog flea/tick/ and heartworm prevention medicine throughout the winter.
We recommend year round flea/tick and HWP.
Here are some facts:
- Fleas can live outdoors in temperatures as low as 33 degrees F. for up to 5 days (long enough to latch onto the pet, come into the home, and relish in the warmth of your living room).
- Flea eggs can live year round in protected areas such as crawl spaces or porches.
- Ticks are more active in the late summer and early fall. However, even in the winter, if the temperature exceeds 40 degrees – which it can in most places – ticks will become active again (some experts think the threshold is more like 32 degrees). So, on those “balmy” winter days of 32 degrees or higher, when you just have to take your dog out to enjoy the so-called warmth, you’re exposing him to ticks.
Mosquitoes, of course, are carriers of the heartworm parasite, a life threatening nematode that can cause severe disease and even death. Mosquitos can live in stagnant/still water by buildings where it isn’t as cold and have potential to infect pets.
If you have any questions about flea control, please call us.