Parasite Prevention
Flea Prevention and Control
Fleas are little blood suckers that can cause problems not only for your pet, but for you and your home as well. Hot spots, dermatitis, tapeworm and anemia are some of the risks a pet faces when they are infested with fleas. An adult female flea can lay up to 40 eggs per day and once they are in your home, eradicating them can be a tedious proposition. Your best bet is to prevent your pet from getting them in the first place.
How do you know if your pet has fleas? Itching and scratching, of course—but you can also see evidence of fleas if you lift your pet’s fur and find tiny black specks called “flea dirt”, which are really flea feces. Were you to wet some of these specks, they will turn red because they’re made of your pet’s blood.
Dogs and cats can share the same fleas and these pests can travel from one animal to another, so it’s important that all the pets in your household are on a flea preventive. Successful flea control will include treating both your pets, their living areas, and your household.
Your Martinsville Veterinary Hospital veterinarian can recommend environmental flea treatments and preventives that work for your pet and your budget. Call us for more information or to schedule an appointment for your pet: 732-469-6272.
Heartworm Prevention
As you may already know, potentially deadly heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, and it only takes one bite to infect a pet. Once infected, heartworm can do severe damage to a pet’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
Sadly, many animals don’t show symptoms until the disease is advanced. At that time, symptoms may include coughing, fatigue, weight loss and a swollen abdomen. While cats are much less likely to be susceptible to full-on heartworm infection, they can suffer from a heartworm-related respiratory condition that is very difficult to diagnose.
While there is heartworm treatment available for canines, it is expensive and can be very hard on your pet. There is currently no treatment for cats.
As always, the best treatment is prevention! Our veterinarians advise keeping your pet on heartworm preventive year-round. Be advised if your pet has not previously been on heartworm preventive, he or she will need a heartworm test before starting on one. Call us at 732-469-6272.
