Flea And Tick Treatments for Your Pets

Even if you have the pet in an urban environment, an apartment or somewhere isolated, there is a chance for them to get fleas or even ticks. A contact with other animals, a day in the park or at the countryside is all it takes and thus here are some things you need to know about flea and tick treatments for your pets.

Prevention

Smaller breeds of dogs and cats in general are more exposed to these problems and thus you should take extra care when they are wandering. Check out for fleas or even ticks regularly and try to keep your house as clean as possible.

Washing the pet’s bedding and vacuuming will prevent their arrival and even when you know they are there the eggs and larvae will be removed. The recommended method of preventing them is to vacuum every day, steam clean the carpets to kill all the possible fleas and try to keep the pet indoors as much as possible.

There are many shampoos, collars, sprays and spot-on products on the market that might help to reduce the risk of catching fleas or ticks but oftentimes a flea comb is sufficient. If you manage to take them off the pet you only have to put the fleas in soapy water and this will kill them.

Tick safe zones

These are some ways to make sure your surroundings are less likely to have these small insects that could infect your pet with the Lyme disease. The tall grasses and brush around the home should be cleared.

Put a barrier of wood chips around the play equipment to restrict possible tick migrations and remove any trash where they might hide from the yard.

Consult your vet

Once you know there are fleas or ticks it’s always important to see the vet instead of running to the pharmacy and getting whatever they have in stock to help. Each pet is different and especially if you have an older, weak, pregnant or sick pet then the treatment needs to be specific to their needs.

The spot-on flea and tick treatments can cause serious skin irritations and even more severe problems due to an overuse so read each label several times to make sure you are using the products correctly. The medication depends on the weight as well so there are a lot of factors to consider when buying a product and the veterinarian is the most qualified person to advise you.