Flea and tick preventative, used for control and elimination of flea and tick eggs, larvae and adults,  is an important part of your pet’s daily care and good health. While they are pesky little critters that leave itchy little bites, they are also potentially dangerous to your pet. 

Fleas often cause problems such as irritation of the skin at the site of the bite, many times leading to “hot spots.”  Hot spots develop when the bite aggravates the dog or cat enough to persistently scratch it to the point of infection and inflammation of the skin. Hair is usually missing in portions or all of the hot spot due to the animal biting the area or scratching it with its nails as a means of relief. By the time the flea bite progresses to a hot spot, treatment can require anything from topical medications to antibiotics.  Fleas can also lead to more intense problems such as anemia. An overabundance of fleas can easily lower the blood supply for the animal, causing weakness, lethargy, and the opportunity for other health issues to emerge. 

Ticks can not only withdraw blood from an animal, also causing anemia, they can carry infectious diseases.  Rocky Spotted Mountain Fever and Lyme’s Disease are only a few of the illnesses that can lead to the need for emergency medical care for your pet.

It is always urged to use products that your veterinarian recommends and apply them as instructed. Over the counter preventatives, such as Hartz, BioSpot will disappoint you with the lack of efficacy. Visit www.epa.gov to learn more about these products and their warnings.