Because it’s summer, ticks and fleas are a big part of both our lives and our pet’s lives. Be sure to take proper care for protecting yourselves and pets from these pesky little buggers. Let’s take a closer look into the basic information of the enemy we face with our petsDURING this time of year, (insects, ticks and fleas).

Ticks

These littlePESTS are the stuff of nightmare, even hearing the name makes our skin crawl. But let’s try to look at the facts instead of the superstition. Ticks are an insect that often live outdoors but can also be found in infestations indoors too. They are feared because of how they feed. A common superstition of ticks is that they act like a screw by turning their mouthparts to further attach to the skin, (gross – we know). This is false so don’t go trying to twist them off, just pull. Most ticks have about a two year life span. The first year they are born and feed. The second year is when they feed and lay their eggs. After that though, they thankfully do notCONTINUE forward with their life.

• American Dog Tick: Typically a dark brown with a yellow/white shell.
• Blacklegged Ticks (deer ticks): These ticks are known for carrying diseases like lymes disease.
• Brown Dog Tick: As you would guess, these ticks feed most commonly on dogs. They’re a little trickier than your average tick though. They cannot survive winter usually but have been known to enter houses and heated kennels to survive.
• Bat Tick: This kind of tick is different compared to the ones above because they have a soft body and no shell. They aren’t as much of a threat because they don’t feed on humans but you should still check your pet over.
• How to deal with ticks.

Fleas

Don’t worry, we’re almost done. We just have to discussTHOSE pesky little fleas first.

Household fleas will latch onto their favorite host for their entire life. Once the female lays eggs, those eggs will fall to the ground typically and hatch within 2-5 days. They tend to live around places that your pet spends a lot of time, like where they eat or sleep. It’s important to protect your pet from fleas each year. Speak with you vet about the best option for your pet specifically depending on their size, environment, etc.

• How to deal with fleas.

Thursday, May 29, 2014