Protect your pet from pests
The first harbinger of spring in Spokane is not daffodils blooming or kids practicing baseball in the park. It’s the first dog brought into the clinic with a tick. That’s when we know spring has arrived.
Fleas are more active this time of year too, although, once established in a house, fleas can even cause problems in the dead of winter.
We really have very little to complain about in this area. The coastal side of the state has far worse problems with fleas than we do. And transmission of serious diseases by ticks is far more common in other parts of the country than it is in the Inland Northwest.
But, just so we’re ready for tick season, and prepared for a flea sneak attack, here’s a little primer:
Ticks
Ticks are arachnids, like spiders. They attach to people, dogs and other animals that happen to brush against them in the tall grass or brushy areas. Ticks burrow their tiny mouth parts into the skin to get a blood meal and they remain attached for several days. While dogs in the Inland Northwest frequently get bitten by ticks, disease transmission from those ticks is very rare in our area. Ask your vet to recommend a good tick preventative or tick collar for your dog. This will prevent the vast majority of tick bites, but you should still check your dog by running your hands all over his head, neck and trunk, especially if you’ve been out hiking or in a wooded area. The tick has to have been attached for at least 24 hours before it could transmit a disease to your dog, so if you find one, remove it immediately. Grasp it with tweezers right against your dog’s skin. Slowly and gently, pull it straight out. (People often worry about accidentally leaving the tick’s head behind. If this happens, it doesn’t matter. The head cannot transmit disease, and there will just be a little sore on the skin which will heal on its own.) Outdoor cats can also occasionally be bitten by ticks.
Fleas
Fleas are tiny reddish brown insects which jump onto animals or humans, take a bite, have a “blood meal” and jump off again to go lay eggs. They can carry diseases as well, but the main problems we see from fleas in pets are flea allergy and tapeworms.
Flea allergy occurs commonly in dogs and cats. While some pets can have lots of flea bites and not show any signs of skin problems, many have an agonizing itchy reaction. They will bite and chew at themselves until they have hair loss and open sores, especially on their backs and around their tails. These animals often have to be treated with antibiotics to clear up secondary skin infections and with steroids to reduce their intense itchiness.
There is a type of tapeworm (an intestinal parasite) carried by fleas. As animals bite and lick at flea bites, they may ingest some fleas. That allows this particular tapeworm to complete its lifecycle by growing in your pet’s intestine.
As if that isn’t unpleasant enough, young kittens and puppies, or very elderly cats that are flea-infested can lose so much blood that they become anemic, and – in severe cases – die.
If you think your pet has fleas, take a fine-tooth comb (sold as a “flea comb” at pet supply stores) and run it through the fur over the rump. You may pick up some adult fleas in the comb or reddish-black “flea dirt,” which is digested blood left behind by the flea. For every single flea you happen to find in your pet’s fur, there are likely to be 99 more in the environment (hidden in your carpet, house or yard). Once they get established in your house, fleas must be attacked on several fronts. There are a number of products that kill adult fleas on your pet and interfere with the flea’s ability to reproduce. Your vet can recommend ones that will be safe and effective for your pet.
Good riddance
But what about the fleas and flea eggs that are in the environment? You may not see them, but they are there. Vacuuming thoroughly and frequently and then throwing the bag away outside so the vacuumed fleas don’t crawl out again and resume their previous activities is very important. You may also need to apply a spray that contains an insect growth regulator and/or insecticide or have this done professionally. Read the label, and remove pets and people from the environment until the spray is dry.
By successfully eradicating fleas and preventing ticks, both you and your pet will enjoy all seasons in Spokane.