Maui Pets face creepie crawlie pests in their ears, skin and intestines! We don't want you to have a pet with these icky (and harmful) creatures, so here's important information for you and your family.
Let's start with...
Creepy Crawlies in The Skin of Kihei Pets
Dog and cat skin is a rich home for many creepie crawlie Hawaiian pests. First we have fleas and ticks. These can cause itch and staph infections of the skin. Maui is fertile ground for MRSA, which is a highly resistant form of staph skin infections and can infect pets:
![MRSA_in_Maui_Pets](http://my.vetmatrix.com/0031706/storage/app/media/MRSA_in_Maui_Pets.jpg)
MRSA stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus. Your South Shore Veterinary Care Veterinarian can diagnose MRSA with a bacterial culture test.
Fleas and ticks do occasionally spread life-threatening blood parasites. These blood parasites in some cases can be passed to humans. Common blood parasites in Hawaii are Ehrlichia and mycoplasma (hemobartonella).
Fleas also transmit tapeworms, which rarely can infect human children. Finally, mites can live in the skin such as demodex or sarcopes. These cause mange. Sarcoptes can be transmitted to humans as well.
What to do? Be sure to reserve an appointment for your pet if you see:
- crusts
- bumps or pimples
- itch, scratching
- hair loss
These are often signs of creepy crawlies in skin! Also use high quality flea and tick control, as Hawaiian fleas and ticks resist most over the counter products.
Please call us if you need assistance in controlling fleas and ticks for some helpful hints!