Contrary to popular opinion, parasites aren’t simply annoying. They can actually impact your pet’s health in significant ways. Fleas often trigger dermatitis, tapeworm and hot spots; one tick bite can transmit numerous dangerous diseases and mosquitoes carry potentially deadly heartworm.
You should thoroughly check your pets for fleas and ticks on a daily basis if they’ve been outdoors. Although fleas and ticks can be anywhere on your pet’s body, they prefer posting up near the head, ears, neck, and paws. You can spot evidence of fleas if you notice little black specks that resemble pepper or bits of dirt.
Both the incidence of Lyme disease from tick bites and heartworm from mosquitoes are on the rise around the country. Lyme disease is rarely fatal, but heartworm is more so because often there are no symptoms until the disease is well advanced. While there is treatment for dogs, it can be expensive and very hard on your pet.
Prevention is always the best treatment! We carry many different types of flea, tick, and heartworm preventive in our clinic and on our online pharmacy, and your Pleasant Pet Care veterinarian can help you choose which one is right for your pet. While it may be convenient to order flea, tick or heartworm treatment from online retailers such as Chewy or 1-800-Pet-Meds, there are risks: products sold by these retailers are often counterfeit or expired, and the product’s guarantees may not be intact. By choosing to have your pet’s preventives prescribed by your veterinarian, you can ensure that their treatment is effective, authentic, and safe.
To schedule an appointment, call us at (843) 856-9190.