It’s that time of year again. The weather gets warmer. Flowers start to bloom, and some of your furry little family members want to have some fun in the sun, but tiny little pests could be lurking in the grass.
“Their optimal environment would be low altitudes. We live in the south, high humidity, and high temperatures, around 80 degrees,” said Dr. Danielle Fazio, a veterinarian at Siegen Lane Animal Clinic.
Dr. Fazio is talking about fleas, and says the season usually comes in May, but it’s already here.
“Since we didn’t have a really cold winter, we weren’t able to kill of fleas that are still in our environment. So, that’s why the flea season is going to be really bad this year,” said Dr. Fazio.
Don’t forget about ticks.
“Ticks are a bigger problem if you live in like a wooded area,” said Dr. Fazio.
Fleas and ticks are particularly attracted to cats and dogs. One place to look out for them is right here at your local dog park.
Marvin Penny makes sure his dogs King and Queen are safe to be out and about.
“It all starts at your house first. Then they latch on to the dogs and bring them to the park. So, we make sure we clean them off before we bring them and leave the park,” said Penny.
Lisa Longmire makes sure her dog Ollie never gets fleas or ticks in the first place.
“He goes to LSU Vet School, and then also Sherwood South. They both have always recommended Bravecto for fleas and ticks. He takes a chewable pill. It’s once every three months, based upon the dog’s weight,” explained Longmire.
Don’t worry, if they do get on your pet, they are treatable.
“You can give them a flea bath to initially kill all the fleas that are on the dog, but that doesn’t have any sort of residual effect. So, it only lasts for like a few hours, while you can start with products. There are spot ons, and there are orals that are probably the most common that people have had, and some of them are very quick acting, and those start working in just a few hours,” concluded Dr. Fazio.
Experts say fleas usually look like a bunch of little black bugs, while a tick like more like a spider. It’s important to treat the bugs because they can spread diseases.
For more information about fleas and ticks, and how to protect your pets, you can click here.