Having a pet can be seen as having a child of your own, like it or not we end up getting attached to our fur babies.
Every parent wants the best for their child and the best thing we can do for our pets is to put them on flea and heartworm prevention.
What is heartworm?
For those who don’t know heartworms are transmitted through infected mosquitos that carry that parasite.
How are heartworms transmitted?
The way they can transmit these parasites is if an infected mosquito bites your pet, the parasite then invades the heart which then reproduces.
These parasites can be dangerous and life-threatening due to them feeding off of your pet’s heart, they can also clog up the blood flow which makes the heart work harder than it needs, essentially damaging the heart. (https://www.banfield.com/Bblog/bcaring/2024/Why-heartworm-prevention-for-your-dog-or-cat-is-important )
Heartworms are seen in all 50 states, but they are more common in places with high humidity, this is why veterinarians prefer them to be on prevention all year round for the rest of their lives.
Other ectoparasites that enjoy the humidity are fleas, these little suckers are a hassle to get rid of and can cause a lot of damage to your pet.
What can happen if my pet has a flea infestation?
Some issues are hair loss and skin irritation, this is known as flea allergy dermatitis, which is when your pet is allergic to the flea saliva which causes their skin to flare up from the bites. (https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/allergy-flea-allergy-dermatitis-in-dogs )
Fleas can also cause tapeworms, this can happen when your pet ingests a flea. You might be asking how can this happen. (https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/tapeworm-infection-in-dogs )
Some ways they can ingest a flea:
- Licking or grooming themselves
- Using teeth to scratch the infected area
These tapeworms can also be transmitted to humans, if you let your pet lick your face or mouth area you are at risk of acquiring tapeworms.
But fear not, there are great products that veterinarians recommend to prevent fleas and heartworms or get rid of them.
What prevention can I put my dog on?
The first one is called Simparica trio it is a chewable that you give every month, it comes in a pack of 6 or also single doses. The second one is called Trifexis which is also a chewable you give every month. (https://www.zoetispetcare.com/products/simparica-trio?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=pos_00032_000721&utm_content=heartwormcombo&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvb-zBhCmARIsAAfUI2v0f8MDvZqz2DHWPRLuk-tInCYWdMkumeljsrZ7c0_n8Bl0mFGlP0EaAnVqEALw_wcB)
(https://yourpetandyou.elanco.com/us/our-products/trifexis)
What prevention can I put my cat on?
For cats there is topical prevention instead of oral, they have Revolution Plus which covers both fleas and heartworms. There is also Bravecto Plus, the difference is Bravecto lasts for 2 months and Revolution Plus lasts a month.( https://us.bravecto.com/cats/bravecto-plus-for-cats/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BRAVECTO+CATS_PLUS_Branded_Core_BRND_ENGM_MULTI_TEXT&utm_content=Core&utm_term=bravecto+plus+cats&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvb-zBhCmARIsAAfUI2vCHc-Kjp_HTWihCrgm7rm9zJsCLT8u5r2G6tQscRutlApMfkycb9gaAjqUEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds )
