Parasites are a pet owner’s nightmare! They are unwelcome guests that come and stay, mostly unseen, and cause a number of health issues. Fleas can cause a number of problems for people and their pets. The most common for the pet are:
Flea Allergy Dermatitis
A severely allergic reaction from the saliva of the flea bite. And as a result of becoming so itchy (pruritic) from scratching and chewing, the skin can become secondarily infected with bacteria.
Heavy flea infestations can suck so much blood from their animal host, that the host can weaken and even die from severe blood loss; this has been an unfortunate occurrence with kittens, puppies, elder and immune deficient pet.
A parasite that leaves its eggs as food for fleas. When the animal host chews at itself from the itching, it can ingest the fleas carrying the eggs, and a tapeworm forms. The tapeworm is segmented (like a Tootsie bar) and the segments break off, pass through the intestinal tract, and come out looking like rice. Those are actually egg sacs ready to be eaten by fleas – thus the life cycle continues.
Ticks can cause pain at the bite site and serious tick-borne diseases. Some symptoms to watch for:
Arthritis or lameness that lasts for 3-4 days, fatigue, swollen joints, fever, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, and neurological problems. Even the best repellents may not prevent these parasites from latching on. It can take 24-48 hours for an attached tick to transmit an infection to its host, so it is important to promptly and properly remove these parasites.
Don't delay! Contact us to discuss flea and tick prevention today!