Your Ocala Vet Answers Common Flea and Tick Questions
Here in Ocala, Florida, fleas and ticks are an every season problem and infestations can seem to pop up overnight. You can take your dog on a hike anywhere in our beautiful Ocala National Forest and you're likely to find five to ten ticks on them when you return home if your pet isn’t on quality flea and tick preventives. Today's flea and tick preventatives are incredibly effective, but our veterinarian team at Magnolia Animal Hospital still fields a lot of questions from new pet owners. The following is a look at the most common of those questions:
- I don't go hiking, so how did my pet get fleas and ticks? While being in the woods is the most common way to pick up fleas and ticks, it certainly isn't the only one. Any contact with the outside world can result in your pet getting fleas or ticks. In fact, simply having a friend in your home who was near a pet with fleas can be enough to start a flea infestation.
- What's the best way to avoid fleas and ticks? Oral and topical preventatives are available for fleas and ticks. In general, we find that oral preventative medications are more effective as they don't cause skin issues nor do they have any water restrictions. With an oral treatment, the medicine enters your pet's bloodstream and it will kill adult ticks and fleas upon biting your pet. However, most of these medications do require a prescription and so you'll want to ask for it during your annual veterinary visit. If your pet has food allergies or issues with medication, you may be recommended a topical treatment instead.
- Can I use my dog flea and tick treatments on my cat? No! Even if they are the same size or weight, dog treatments should never be used on cats. This is because cats are significantly more sensitive to the active ingredients in flea and tick treatments and so the misuse of a dog treatment on a cat can cause serious illness. Sadly, many people believe otherwise and the use of non-feline products on cats is the most common cause of non-medical poisoning that we see at our animal hospital.
- Help! My pet and home have a flea infestation that I can't control! The first thing you'll want to do if you have an existing flea infestation is to schedule a veterinarian visit to get your pet an advanced treatment to remove all of the existing fleas and ticks on your pet. Next, you'll want to deep clean your entire house with the appropriate products. This is because when you have fleas, only 1-5% will exist as adults that are on your pet. The other 95-99% exist as eggs, larvae, and pupae tucked away in carpets, furnishings, and yard space.
Schedule Your Pet's Veterinarian Visit Today
Fleas and ticks can spread dangerous things like tapeworms and Lyme disease. Both can have dire consequences for your pet. Contact our veterinary team today for more information on flea and tick treatments. Call Magnolia Animal Hospital in Ocala at (352) 327-3663 to keep your pet safe from these pests.