Fleas, ticks and your pets

FLEAS AND TICKS

Both fleas and ticks not only survive but also thrive in the desert southwest. Because we do not tend to get a killing frost, the populations of these pests do not decrease much in the wintertime as they do in other parts of the country. For those dogs and cats that spend a good part of the time outdoors, we recommend you use a flea and tick preventative called Frontline. Frontline is a topical treatment, placed on the skin of the pet’s neck once a month. It provides protection within 24 hours, spreading all over your pet’s skin, and will last up to thirty days per treatment. If the environment is infested with either fleas or ticks, other treatments such as premise sprays or foggers may be needed.

In depth, the tick we deal with most commonly in the desert southwest is the brown dog tick, or Rhipicephalus sanguineus. This tick is a carrier of a Rickettsial organism called Erhlichia canis. This blood parasite causes the disease Tick Fever in the dog. Tick Fever is a potentially fatal disease causing a myriad of symptoms including nose bleeds, other bleeding disorders, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, lameness, fever, neurologic signs including seizures, and death. Once detected, this disease can usually be treated successfully with specific antibiotics.

Fleas, usually carried by the desert rabbit and rodent population, can in large numbers on young animals, cause a serious anemia. Flea Bite Dermatitis is an inflammatory skin reaction from the flea’s saliva at the bite site. This can cause a rash, inflammation and hair loss. Besides being itchy and irritating to you pet, these reactive sites can develop into serious skin infections. Although people do not often notice fleas on their pet, “flea dirt” or the poppy seed-like flea excrement can be readily found in the fur when there is an infestation.

Again, we strongly recommend Frontline as a good preventative and treatment of flea and tick infestations. Remember, it is easier to prevent an infestation than to control or irradicate one, so starting your pet on monthly preventative is a good idea, even when no evidence of fleas and ticks exist.