If you miss that monthly dose, your pet is at a potential risk of getting flea or tick bites, which can transmit some serious diseases. Heartworm preventive medicine is especially important to keep on schedule for your pet.
The answer is yes, flea and tick preventatives need to be applied year-round in order to keep your pets safe. Read on to learn more about how fleas and ticks operate, the dangers they can harbor, and how best to protect your dogs and cats.
Nexgard will protect your dog from heartworm, so if you live in an area with a low risk of heartworm, Nexgard may be all your dog needs. However, if you use Nexgard and Heartgard at the same time, your dog will be protected from most types of parasites, including heartworm, fleas, and ticks.
It's recommended to do tick treatments until it turns cold enough to send these nasty pests back into hibernation. As for fleas, these annoying critters can live year round indoors. A good rule of thumb is that as soon as the frost hits the ground, they are not much of a threat outdoors.
Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs
All of your furry family members should be treated year-round with flea and tick control products. These can be prescription or over-the-counter, and often require application every 30 days. Ask your veterinarian which product they recommend for your pal.
Pros: These products are generally safe, very effective, easy to apply, and kill fleas and ticks without the need for the pet to be bitten first. Cons: It takes about 24 hours for the product to spread around after application, so there will be an oily spot in the hair where it was applied.
You should de-flea and worm your pet once a month. Not only will this prevent them from experiencing the side effects of either condition, but it'll allow your pet to be completely protected and free from suffering.
Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tickborne diseases. Vaccines are not available for most of the tickborne diseases that dogs can get, and they don't keep the dogs from bringing ticks into your home. For these reasons, it's important to use a tick preventive product on your dog.
It is important to understand that this may take some time, as this flea and tick treatment is given once a month, and it may still be in their system for up to 30 days.
To keep your dog protected from parasites and avoid treatment gaps, it's important to adhere to the dosing schedule. However, if you do miss a dose, give it as soon as you remember. Then, adjust the dosing schedule so that the next dose is 30 days after the new dose.
The only downside to NexGard is that the parasites have to bite the dog to be affected by the medication, which can sometimes take several hours to take place. We'll contact your Vet to verify.
Why are there still fleas on my pet, even though I already gave the medication? If pets come in contact with new fleas, they will continue to be infested. FRONTLINE Plus and NexGard also make fleas become more hyperactive before they die, which may make them more noticeable to you.
It is important to regularly give your dog a preventative flea treatment, even if they are an indoor dog, because the most effective flea control is preventing an infestation before it happens.
Peak Flea and Tick Season
The cooler, drier winter weather will offer your pets some relief, but it is crucial to treat against fleas throughout all seasons. Summer is one of the most active times for fleas and ticks, with some of the worst season being fall, in September, October, and November.
Combine 1 quart of water, 1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of baby shampoo or liquid dish soap. Use this mixture to bathe your dog once or twice a month. Vinegar kills fleas and ticks on contact and can prevent future infestations.
Yes, Nexgard is an incredibly safe and effective prevention for fleas, ticks, and mites. However, because Nexgard is ingested and absorbed into the bloodstream, rather than applied to and spread by the oils of the skin, the few reactions that do occur can seem more dramatic.
If chemical products are necessary for additional flea or tick control, NRDC recommends s-methoprene or pyriproxyfen, which are less toxic ingredients—but read the labels carefully because some products use them with other, more harmful pesticides.
Every dog is at risk for worms, no matter where they live or how much time they spend outside. Worms are usually transmitted through the faecal-oral method, meaning that your pet may come across microscopic parasitic eggs that are present in faecal material. Some worms, such as tapeworms, are transmitted via fleas.
If a large number of fleas bite and feed, your dog can develop anemia, or low red blood cells. This serious medical condition must be promptly addressed through veterinary care, especially in puppies. Symptoms of anemia include weakness, lethargy, rapid breathing and potentially death if the fleas are not killed.
Prevention is better than cure
Cats and dogs preventative worming treatment is easy to administer, but you must routinely do this to ensure your pet doesn't get worms. Pets should be wormed every month up to 6 months of age, then 4 times a year after that for Roundworm and Tapeworm.
The most common reason is that the fleas are being killed and the dog is no longer being bitten by them. This can cause the dog to feel itchy and uncomfortable, which may lead to restlessness. Additionally, the chemicals in some flea treatments can be irritating to dogs, leading to discomfort and restlessness.
In severe infestations, fleas feasting on your pet's blood can lead to anemia and, in rare cases, death. Ticks can also harm your pet, transmitting tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, and Bartonellosis.
Thankfully, there are lots of flea treatments available to prevent and kill fleas quickly which are very easy to give your cat. Products from your vet are much more effective than those from shop shelves.