Parasite Prevention

We recommend all dogs take an oral medication once a month, all year round, to prevent most intestinal parasites and heartworm. Heartworm is a very serious disease with fatal consequences. It was once a commonly diagnosed disease in the Northeast in the 1970s and 1980s. When dogs were rescued from the Hurricane Katrina disaster and shipped north, we saw a resurgence of heartworm disease. If everyone stopped giving this preventive, this devastating disease would again become common.

Because heartworm is such a serous problem, we want to make sure that your pet is protected against this easily preventable disease. Your pet will be tested for heartworm every other year at his or her regular exam, and Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital will prescribe a monthly heartworm preventive medication for your pet to take around the year that also kills intestinal parasites. Each time you bring your pet in for a visit, we will review his or her individualized records, and vaccine boosters will be given as needed. We look forward to your questions about disease and parasite prevention, so feel free to bring them to your pet’s wellness visit or call our office.

There are a few flea and tick preventatives that we recommend using once monthly to ward off fleas and ticks. In our area generally, the use of flea and tick preventatives are only necessary during the warm weather months, late March to mid November, depending on how warm it is. But if you travel to warmer climates during the winter, you should use them as well. Anyone whose home has become flea-infested is even more aware of the value of prevention. The new products that have entered the market in the last 15 years are remarkably effective in preventing flea and tick infestation of your treasured pet.

We will recommend a program of parasite control based on your pet’s lifestyle. We look forward to your questions about disease and parasite prevention, so feel free to bring them to your pet’s wellness visit or call our office.

Fleas and ticks are parasites that can live on your pet, hiding in the fur and feasting on blood. Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital wants you to know that these pests are not just annoying; they can carry diseases that can be harmful to your pet’s health and be transmitted to you, your family, or your friends.

There are many different types of ticks found all over the country. They live in the bushes and grass you may find outside your home and in parks. When you and your pet walk through this foliage, ticks will try to attach themselves to you. After biting and enjoying a meal, they then detach so that they can reproduce.

Fleas and ticks often carry diseases. These diseases can be transmitted directly to dogs, cats, and people.

• Anemia is caused by blood loss can result from an infestation of fleas. This can be fatal, particularly for kittens. One of the symptoms is pale gums.
• Tapeworm eggs can be carried by fleas and passed on to your pet.
• Haemobartonellosis is a more serious form of anemia, caused by a microorganism that is carried by the flea. It can be diagnosed with a lab test and is treated with antibiotics, steroids, and, in some very bad cases, blood transfusions.
• Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and many other diseases are transmitted by the tick.

During the warm weather months, usually from late March through November in our area, flea and tick prevention is very important. If you travel south in the winter, you should use preventive flea and tick measures year-round.

Ticks and fleas, and the diseases that they carry, are preventable. After you and your pet have been outside, check for ticks by running your hands through the coat of your dog or cat before going inside. If a tick has attached itself, you will usually feel a bump. Make sure to check between the toes and around the ears as well. If you find ticks, it is not an emergency; call us during our office hours, and we will advise you.

Besides actually seeing the flea itself on your pet, other evidence includes black flea dirt (feces), itchiness, and hot spots. The majority of the flea life cycle is spent in the environment, not on your pet. Once they inhabit your home, they are difficult to get rid of. We advise the use of very effective flea preventatives on your pet so your home does not become infested.

Because each pet is different, we are careful to prescribe the right type of preventative according to lifestyle and age. All of these products are available right here in our pharmacy for your convenience.

Animal Kind is passionate about protecting your pet from fleas and ticks and welcomes your questions about preventing them.