When you have pets, they are vulnerable to becoming infested with fleas and ticks. Fleas and ticks may sound like just a nuisance, but these parasites can cause a range of serious diseases in your pet. If you don't already have your pet on flea and tick prevention and you live in or around Spokane, contact West Plains Animal Hospital to book an appointment with one of our veterinarians.
Tick Bites
Ticks carry a lot of types of bacteria and many of them cause serious diseases in cats and dogs. These parasites attach themselves to a pet and stay attached, continuously drinking and releasing bacteria into the pet's bloodstream. These pests can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever to pets as well as tick paralysis.
Ticks even spread Lyme disease to pets. Every pet needs to be on a flea and tick prevention medication to avoid the many diseases that ticks can bring. Several of the diseases that they carry can be fatal to pets and others can harm their long-term health.
Flea Bites
When a pet has fleas, it can also cause a lot of health problems. One of the most common problems is an allergic reaction to the fleas' saliva. This can cause general allergic reactions, or the reaction can be much more severe. Flea populations expand exponentially and can lead to large infestations that take a lot of blood from your pet. This can cause the pet to suffer from anemia. When a pet has fleas, it can also catch a number of diseases and even get tapeworms if it swallows a flea.
Flea and Tick Prevention
Pets need a pet exam to determine if they are healthy enough to take one of these medications and to pinpoint which one would be the best for their needs. Some of these medications also protect against worms, so your pet may need one that does both. To make this form of pet care easier, many of the medications come in chewable tablets. There are also injections that work to keep fleas and ticks at bay.
Contact Our Veterinarians in Spokane, WA
If you are in Spokane and would like to know more about parasite prevention or it has been a while since your furry friend has seen a vet, contact one of our veterinarians at West Plains Animal Hospital to book an appointment. Call our team today at (509) 624-3474 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.