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Fleas and Ticks Don't Social Distance

5/7/2020

2 Comments

 
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Photo credit: Lee Haywood
It's hard to concentrate in the midst of a global pandemic, but spring is bringing back all the usual pests and our pets need protection. So to keep your pets safe from disease-carrying fleas and ticks, here's what you need to know - we've put it into the mnemonic that's top of mind these days.
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So by following the tips above you can keep your pets free of fleas and ticks this year - and give yourself one less thing to stress over. Questions about your particular pet? Just give us a call at 513-791-7912 and we'll be happy to discuss the best product for your individual situation.
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Just Say No to Ticks

5/7/2019

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I'm not sure there's anything redeeming about ticks. They crawl, they bite, and they carry diseases. Thankfully there are some easy ways to just say no to ticks this spring - and all year long.
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Here's what you need to know to keep your pets (and your family) safe from ticks. 
  1. Ticks can be tiny. A nymph deer tick is the size of a poppyseed, and can easily hide in fur, hair, or under jewelry. 
  2. Ticks are active. There are 5 common species of tick found in the Greater Cincinnati area. Each has a slightly different life cycle, so the end result is we have ticks out and about every month of the year (yes, even in January). But May is the "tickiest" month - that's when the most ticks are active. 
  3. Ticks carry diseases. Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and cytauxzoonosis are just some of the nasty infections that ticks transmit to the animals they bite. Some of these diseases can have long term consequences even with treatment, so this is one area where an ounce of prevention is more than worth a pound of cure.
  4. It's easy to prevent ticks. First, create a tick-free zone in your yard. Ticks prefer moist environments, so they're less likely to venture to the middle of the lawn. Rake up leaves, cut back grasses and brush, and try to decrease wildlife traffic through your yard to keep tick numbers down.
  5. Then, protect your pet. There are a number of safe, effective products to keep your dogs and cats safe. They come as oral chews, topical products, and collars. 

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As you can see, there are a number of effective options available. Some are available in pet stores, others through your veterinarian.
  • For households with children, the oral products - Bravecto, Simparica, and Nexgard - are often the best choice since there's no need to separate the pet until the product dries.
  • For outdoor cats, applying topical Bravecto once every 12 weeks can be the most practical.
  • The Seresto collar is a great option for pets who wear collars all the time.
  • Vectra 3D has the added advantage of repelling mosquitoes, so it makes a good adjunct to heartworm prevention.
  • Frontline and Advantix are readily available in pet stores (be careful not to purchase Advantage, which lacks tick protection).
Talk to us or your local veterinarian to find the best product for your pets' lifestyle - but the bottom line is that your dog or cat deserves to be protected from those tick-borne infections.
Picturegraphic created by the CDC
Found a tick? Now what?
Gross - you just found a tick. First, take a deep breath and don't panic. Next, how to remove a tick: grab a pair of tweezers, firmly grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out. This applies to ticks on people as well as pets. The goal is to get the tick's head and mouthparts out if possible. Do NOT pour alcohol on the tick or try to burn it - those techniques just make the tick regurgitate more into the wound and increase disease transmission. Do save the tick and send a photo of it to the folks at tickencounter.org for identification. They will let you know what the risks are for that particular species, and then you can decide whether to pay to have your tick tested for diseases.
Watch for illness - watch your pet closely for lethargy, fever, limping, swollen joints, bruising, or changes to thirst or urination. These are signs of several of the tick-transmitted infections like Lyme disease or Ehrlichiosis. Seek veterinary care quickly if your pet becomes ill.  
Test for disease - make sure your veterinarian screens your dog every year for the most common tick diseases, even if you've been using prevention. This can usually be done with a few drops of blood right in the office. A positive result means your pet has been exposed to the organism, and further testing is needed to see if treatment is recommended.

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April showers brought May flowers - and fleas and ticks

4/17/2018

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Photo credit: Donnie Ray Jones www.flickr.com
Did you know that a single adult flea will lay over 500 eggs in her lifetime? Each of those eggs can develop into new adult fleas within 3 weeks, and start laying eggs of their own. That's a lot of fleas in the house. But thankfully, you can prevent that entire cycle and never have to worry about treating your furniture. Here's what you need to know about fleas and ticks.
Fact 1:  Those pesky bugs are out there right now. Ticks are active year-round in Cincinnati. Fleas survive outdoors once temperatures reach 50F, so they're back for the season. Flea numbers will increase from now until we get a couple hard frosts in the fall, usually in November. 

An adult flea lives on its host (that's your dog or cat), and lays eggs that drop off the animal and stay in bedding, carpet, upholstery, and cracks in the floor. Those eggs hatch into larvae and then pupae, then finally morph into adult fleas. The black specks that can sometimes be seen on your pet's fur is the flea poop - digested blood. You rarely see flea eggs, which are white, because they roll right off your pet.
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Photo credit: kitty.green66 www.flickr.com
Fact 2:  Fleas and ticks can carry serious diseases. Fleas can transmit tapeworms and bartonella, and they make our pets itchy and uncomfortable. Ticks are even more dangerous. Deer ticks carry Lyme disease, and they can also carry ehrlichia and anaplasmosis. Lone star ticks and American dog ticks also carry ehrlichia. Since the nymph and larval stages of the ticks are difficult to see (think the size of a poppyseed underneath the fur), the safest way to handle the threat is to prevent them from attaching in the first place.
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Fact 3: It's easy to protect your dog and cat against fleas and ticks.
Oral and topical medications and collars are readily available through your veterinarian and at pet stores. The Bravecto products work for 12 weeks and all the others will protect for 1 month. Here's a short list of the most reliable and safe options. We'll be happy to discuss the differences between them to pick the best for your particular pet - give us a call 513-791-7912!
Dog Oral:
  • Nexgard
  • Simparica
  • Bravecto

Dog Topical:
  • Bravecto
  • Frontline
  • Advantix
  • Vectra 3D

Cat Topical:
  • Revolution
  • Bravecto
  • Frontline
  • Advantage
  • Vectra

Collar (for both cats and dogs):
  • Seresto - lasts 8 months, must be applied tightly


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Fleas already in the house?
Vacuuming and laundering bedding can remove 30-50% of the immature fleas in the environment, so it's best repeated frequently. I
nsecticide of some sort is usually required to eliminate them completely. But if you protect all the pets in the house with one of the products listed above for 4 months straight you can break the cycle: each time a new flea emerges and jumps on your pet, it will die without laying any new eggs.
So act now - protect all your pets with an effective, safe flea and tick control year-round and never worry about fleas and ticks!

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Is your pet protected against ticks?

6/20/2017

2 Comments

 
2017 is a banner year for ticks here in Cincinnati after our very mild winter. We've seen two dogs living right here in the Kenwood area come in with ticks on them this week alone! So here's what you need to know to protect your pets:

1. Ticks can be tiny. Check out these deer ticks lined up on a finger - and then imagine trying to find that poppyseed-sized nymph tick in your pet's fur.
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2. Ticks carry diseases. Sure, there's the pain of the bite and the 'ick' factor, but far more dangerous are the bacteria ticks can inject. Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis are just a few of the possible consequences of a tick bite.  We have them here in Hamilton County, and the surrounding areas are at risk too.

How to protect your pet:
Every cat and dog that goes outside needs protection. It can be topical or oral (for dogs). 
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The oral options for dogs are monthly Simparica and Nexgard, or Bravecto given every 12 weeks. These are a relatively new class of medication that are extremely safe, kill fleas and ticks, and also kill the mites that cause mange. 
Good topical options for dogs include Frontline, Advantix, and Vectra 3D. Beware of the generic "just like Frontline" that are available in many pet stores - while they often contain the same insecticide, they usually lack the special molecules needs to ensure that they are absorbed into your pets' skin and then re-secreted every day for the full month. 
The Seresto tick collar is another effective product as long as it is applied tightly enough to be in contact with your pets' skin. Again, beware of the imitation products here.

For cats, monthly Frontline or topical cat Bravecto every 12 weeks protects your cat from ticks as well as fleas. Most cats groom themselves fastidiously and will rarely allow ticks to attach and transmit disease, so topical Revolution is a good option to protect against fleas, heartworm, and intestinal parasites even though it lacks the tick protection.  

We'd be happy to discuss which exact product is right for your family by phone (513) 791-7912.

If you do find a tick on your pet, DON'T reach for the rubbing alcohol or matches. Simply use tweezers to grasp it firmly as close to the skin as possible and pull straight backwards to dislodge it. Then save the tick for later identification.
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Don't stop preventing fleas yet!

10/14/2016

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Fall is here - so you can stop giving your cat or dog flea and tick prevention, right? No way.  Keep your fuzzy friend protected all year round to prevent uncomfortable flea bites and dangerous infections. The outside adult fleas won't die until there have been a couple hard frosts, so here in Cincinnati it's usually December or January before the outdoor flea threat is gone. But those poppy seed-sized deer ticks are usually still active in December and emerge again in February, so no waiting until spring allowed.

Learn more (image from http://www.petmd.com/flea/infographic/flea-habitats-home) below about where those pesky fleas are hiding - and make sure you have enough flea and tick medicine to keep your pet protected through the fall and winter! We recommend Bravecto (oral 12 week protection) or Nexgard or Simparica (oral monthly protection) for dogs, and Revolution (topical monthly protection) for cats.  
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Fall is prime tick season

11/5/2015

0 Comments

 
Here in Cincinnati, the deer tick is most active in the fall. This pest can carry Lyme disease, so make sure your dog is protected with Nexgard monthly or Bravecto every 12 weeks to keep these bugs at bay.
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    Dr. Krumanaker

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Montgomery Animal Hospital

7670 Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45236
Phone: (513) 791-7912
AAHA, veterinarian, animal hospital, pet hospital

After Hours Care

Your pet care needs occurring after  business hours can be addressed by one of the local veterinary emergency hospitals.
  • MedVet (Fairfax): (513) 561-0069, 3964 Red Bank Rd.
  • C.A.R.E. Center (Sharonville/Montgomery): (513) 530-0911, 6995 E. Kemper Rd. 
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