Oh fleas, don't get ticked!
Friday, August 26, 2016
By: Wendy Welch

How to help your pets fend off pests

“Over the last several years, we’ve seen an increasing number of ticks—and fleas are prevalent, too,” says Dr. Courtney White, HSHV’s Veterinary Clinic.

Though people tend to only focus on dogs, Dr. White warns that pests—and pest-borne illness--can affect many species—including cats and horses.

“And unfortunately, symptoms for tick-borne diseases are often non-specific,” says Dr. White, “so prevention, identification, diagnostic testing, and early treatment for infection are key to decreasing the incidence of severe illness,” says Dr. White.

What should you watch out for?

• Avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush and leaves. Ticks prefer shady, moist, wooded and grassy locations. Be extra aware in warmer months when walking your pet.
• Contrary to their name, “deer ticks” aren’t the fault of deer, nor are they found solely on deer—these black-legged ticks have many small mammal hosts, including mice and songbirds. In fact, Michigan has over 20 species of ticks, and the most popular tick here is the “American dog tick”—which are typically found in grassy fields without trees—like your backyard.
• If you spot a tick on your animal, remove it by grasping with tweezers firmly at the skin and slowly pulling it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this increases the chance of breaking and leaving behind remnants. The earlier you remove it, the better; the chance of disease transmission is greatly reduced when ticks are removed less than 24 hours after attachment.
• Seek veterinary treatment if illness occurs after a tick bite. Watch for fever, weakness or lethargy, lameness, a loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea.

What about preventative medication?

“There are a variety of heartworm preventatives that also kill intestinal parasites and fleas, but none of these also prevent and kill ticks. One product covers fleas, heartworm prevention and protects against the Lonestar tick—but that’s just one of the many kinds of ticks in Michigan,” says Dr. White.

Therefore, Dr. White recommends a multi-modal approach to most clients, which can be a topical liquid or oral flea/tick preventative in addition to a heartworm preventative. Some oral medications now provide flea/tick prevention for a three month span.

“Consult with your veterinarian to determine which flea/tick preventative is best for your animal and lifestyle. In addition to avoiding walking your pet in woody, shaded areas, keeping your pet on flea/tick medication is the best way to avoid tick-borne disease,” says Dr. White.

Need a veterinarian? HSHV’s full-service veterinary clinic is open to the public, and the reasonable fees collected go back into the shelter to help homeless animals. Call 734-662-4365 or see HSHV.org/clinic for more information.