Fleas and Ticks
Today, we will discuss blood-sucking parasites that can cause disease, cost you tons of money, and are incredibly difficult to get rid of—the government.
Kidding (sort of), while there are countless other internal and external parasites, fleas and ticks cause many of the sick visits that veterinarians see. Owners (probably) spend more time and money treating fleas and ticks than almost any other disease (except maybe arthritis). Unlike arthritis and most other diseases, fleas and ticks are entirely preventable.
Fleas: There are several different types of fleas, with the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis for you nerds like myself) being the most common for cats and dogs. 90% of their life cycle is in immature stages in your carpet, cracks in hardwood floors or cement, and pretty much everywhere. Rather than go through the entire process, I'll let this website do that.
But I only saw one flea - Fleas lay about 40 eggs daily. There is always more than one flea.
I gave them that one thing/bathed them that gets rid of them once - fleas can stay in a pupae stage for several months and are resistant to many types of treatment in this stage.
So I treated my one pet, and now what - they are on all your other pets, too. Treat/give them prevention as well. Forever.
But I use lavender/peppermint oil/natural preventatives. Why do I still see fleas? - Because they don’t work.
Fleas are disgusting. If that's not reason enough, they also transmit several diseases and cause flea allergy dermatitis. Fleas/flea bites do not cause itching. Your pet's immune system responding to the flea saliva causes itching and hair loss. This is why some animals can have thousands of fleas and not react, while others will itch themselves insane while having very few fleas. Other diseases caused by fleas include Bartonella and tapeworms. So yes, if you see those tiny grains of rice crawling around on your pet's butt, they probably have fleas. Too many fleas, especially in smaller animals, can cause anemia and death.
Ticks: In Michigan, there are five species of ticks, and I hate them all. Nothing is worse than pulling a tick out of your pet...or yourself. The American Dog Tick is the one I have seen the most. However, the black-legged tick is my least favorite. That is because it is the leading carrier of Lymes disease. This disease has exploded in Michigan in the past couple of years and can cause kidney and joint disease. Yearly heartworm tests can help determine if your pet has been exposed to Lyme, Anaplasma, or Ehrlichia, which are all caused by tick bites. While Lyme can not be transmitted directly from pet to owner, that tick that bit your pet will be on a Quest for another meal pretty soon! Here is the CDC's website on ticks.
Preventatives: In almost every state, your pet must be on flea, tick, and heartworm year-round for life. Newer preventions cover fleas, ticks, mites, heartworms, and intestinal parasites.
But big pharma is out to get my pets - grow up.
I heard that simparica trio would give my pet a seizure - The active ingredient in flea/tick prevention can occasionally lower the seizure threshold in some pets. If your pet has a history of seizures, you should talk to your vet. Otherwise, it is incredibly safe.
But it's expensive - yes, but treating your pet for the diseases fleas/ticks cover is much more costly. Not to mention the amount of illnesses we can rule out if your pet is sick and is on reliable prevention.
If your pet is not on flea/tick prevention, especially in my area, they will get parasites. Winters are not cold enough to kill off pests. Fleas can and will get on your indoor-only cat. Treating diseases will out price the cost of prevention, not to mention it will endanger your pet for further disease. Veterinary-recommended preventions will also prevent ear mites, demodectic mange, and many other mites that are covered off-label, such as cheyletiellosis (walking dandruff), which is zoonotic (can be transmitted to humans).
Always talk to your vet before giving any prevention. If you give your cat, dog only flea and tick prevention, it may be fatal. If you give your rabbit frontline, it may also be deadly. We've seen over-the-counter prevention cause severe chemical burns. Topical preventions for dogs may not cover certain ticks appropriately. So, as always, do what you want, but your veterinarian will know best about what to use, not your pet breeder, groomer, local TSC employee, that guy on Reddit, or that one holistic crazy aunt who raised a litter of cats once.
