Fleas, ticks, mosquitos: a real bother as spring approaches
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Oh, the joys of spring!
The grass is greening, the flowers are blooming…and the fleas and ticks are rising from the grass.
That's right, pet owners, they're back and looking for blood – literally.
They're a pain, they're a nuisance, and fleas and ticks are not to be taken lightly.
Beyond just being creepy, they're a real threat to your pets.
"The biggest concern is the diseases they carry, that they share through their bites, [and] can be deadly," said Dr. Jennifer Fox, a doctor of veterinarian medicine at the Franklin Animal Clinic.
Dr. Fox readily tells her patients at the clinic that it's always flea and tick season but it starts to get really bad now and again when you head toward the fall.
Those fleas? They're looking for residential property.
"They are looking for a meal and they're looking for a place to lay some eggs and have generations grow," Dr. Fox explained.
While ticks are transient, Dr. Fox said they will bite your pet and they're basically going for their blood which is their main source of food.
After that, the tick drops off, but the fleas stick around.
"There's a lot of other disorders that fleas can pass to your animals, so many things that ticks carry," she said.
She also wasn't very reassuring, explaining that just because you don't see them, it doesn't mean they aren't there – growing in numbers.
Not to mention, fleas and tickets aren't just interested in our furry friends…they like are blood too and it's only a short hop from the pet to the person.
So what can you do to protect both your pet and you?
If your pet heads outdoors, you can't quite prevent them from getting on your pet, but you can dramatically impact what happens next.
Once onboard, the fleas and ticks as we said are after your pet's blood.
"You don't always see them, they're there even if you can't see them," Dr. Fox said.
Dr. Fox recommends an oral treatment or a topical treatment to prevent the fleas and ticks from taking hold, rather than waiting for evidence that your pet has been bit.
"So, if your pet can take something that is floating through their bloodstream when the flea and tick load on, they'll die very quickly," Dr. Fox said of what will happen to the insects once they bite after your pet takes a preventative treatment. "If you put it on, it's going to percolate, usually over 24 hours, and spreading the skin oil and it'll be everywhere there is an oil."
It takes a bit longer, but she said the pest walks through it and they're toast.
However, be careful, a bath could wash away the protection which means a good solution could be a flea collar.
"As long as you're using something that is nontoxic and I would say veterinary endorsed," she explained.
Soresto is the best-known name on the market – but what about those flea and tick shampoos?
Dr. Fox said they're laced with some pesticide and advises staying away from those.
She recommends consulting with a veterinarian and making the best choice for your pet.