Continental Kennel Club
Flea and Tick Prevention
Choosing a good name for your pet

Flea and tick prevention

The summer months are coming to an end for 2005. Soon the leaves will be changing colors, the weather will be turning cooler, and the dreaded mosquito season will be coming to an end. Unfortunately, fleas and ticks can be a problem for your dog year round no matter which region or climate.

Prevention of these annoying and sometimes fatal parasites is a sure way to keep your dog healthy and happy year round. How do you know if your dog has fleas? Just because your dog is scratching doesn’t necessarily mean it has fleas. The best way to check your dog is to, well, check your dog. Start with the hind quarters of your dog or around the face and ears. Use your hand or a comb and brush against the grain of the hair. If no fleas are visible, look for black flakes close to the dog’s skin.

This is called “flea dirt” or flea feces. To insure that it is from the flea, run it under water. If the black flakes turn dark red, it’s time to treat your dog for fleas. Treating your dog is not enough in the prevention of fleas and ticks, and if the problem is not controlled quickly, you may find yourself scratching more than your dog does. For out of control flea problems, you must treat your entire house, especially carpets because eggs may lie dormant for up to a year. You must also treat your yard (even if your dog is an inside dog). Treating your yard could get expensive but it is well worth it to keep the fleas and ticks at bay.
 

You may find products at your local feed store, hardware store, or vet’s office. After you have the yard treated (and depending on the directions, you may have to reapply several times), you have to kill the fleas and ticks that are making your dog miserable. There are several over-the-counter products for your dog in the form of topical, shampoos, dips, powders, and sprays. Although these products are more inexpensive these are not as effective as the prescribed products from your vet.

Prescribed products from your veterinarian will ultimately save you more time and money. If you are unsure as to which one is right for your dog, ask your vet. Also, never use two products at the same time without consulting your vet. Fleas are known to cause several medical conditions, such as flea allergy dermatitis, tapeworms, hair loss (from scratching), and other skin infections usually caused from the scratching. If the fleas become unbearable or get out of control, your dog could become anemic from blood loss, especially in puppies, and could possibly die if the anemia is severe.
 

Ticks can also become transmitters of harmful or even fatal diseases such as Lyme disease (which can also be contracted by humans from tick bites), Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Although fleas peak in the summer months, deer ticks are most common in the spring and fall. Prevention is the key to keeping your dog and your family healthy year round.