Heartworm, Flea and Tick Treatment Options

When you adopt a furry family member there are lots of different things that you will need to think about. Something that should be fairly high on your priority list should be proper preventative care, and in particular, protecting your pet from parasites.

Parasites are small creatures that live inside or on your pet and take the nutrients that they need to survive directly from her body. In doing so, they can affect your pet in a variety of ways, from causing irritation to triggering a life-threatening condition. While there are lots of different parasites around, there are three that are more common than others. These are heartworms, fleas, and ticks.

Why is it so important to protect your pet from these parasites and what can you do if she becomes affected? Here is what you need to know.

What heartworms mean for your pet

Heartworms predominantly affect dogs who make a very natural host for them, but it isn’t unheard of for cats to be affected to. Heartworms are a parasite that is spread by mosquitos which carry heartworm larvae from host to host. Once the mosquito bites your pet, the larvae will enter her bloodstream and migrate to the blood vessels of the heart and lungs where they will mature and be able to reproduce. Each heartworm can grow to around 12-14 inches in length capable of living up to seven years, and dogs with severe heartworm infections can have more than a hundred living inside their body.

Symptoms of heartworms include a soft cough, reluctance to exercise, weight loss and decreased appetite. Left untreated, the heartworms can block blood flow to your pet’s major organs, resulting in organ failure and almost certain death.

Treatment options for heartworms

If your pet is diagnosed with heartworms, the exact treatment she will need will depend on the extent that she is affected. Our veterinary team may recommend a combination of antibiotics, steroids and heartworm preventatives before beginning the actual heartworm treatment as these will also stabilize your pet, lower the risk of infection and kill any heartworm larvae. This is important since heartworm medication only destroys adult worms.

The actual heartworm treatment itself is carried out in multiple steps and consists of a series of drug injections. Since the drug is very strong, your pet will need to be closely monitored throughout treatment. As with all diseases, the sooner your pet is diagnosed and treatment commences, the more successful it is likely to be.

What fleas mean for your pet

Many people think that their small size means that their pet getting fleas won’t be a big problem. Unfortunately, you couldn’t be more wrong. These microscopic creatures can be found everywhere, and they will jump on to your pet when she passes by and feed on her blood. While one or two fleas might not cause huge blood loss, the fact that they reproduce very quickly and in large numbers means that a couple of fleas can quickly turn into a large infestation if they aren’t dealt with quickly. This puts your pet at greater risk of developing anemia. That isn’t the only issue either. Firstly, flea saliva contains a toxin that many pets are allergic too, causing intense itching beyond the norm usually experienced by animals with fleas. This is known as flea allergy dermatitis and is the leading allergy suffered by pets. Secondly, fleas also carry diseases such as tapeworms and typhus that can affect both pets and people alike. Finally, fleas are very difficult to treat, and it can take several months to completely eradicate a flea infestation from your pet and home!

What ticks mean for your pet

Ticks are another common external parasite that can potentially affect your pet. Although they are more prevalent in some states than others, veterinarians advocate protection against them irrespective of where you live with your pet. Ticks will attach to your pet when she is out roaming or hiking and will burrow down in her fur to drink her blood. Unfortunately, ticks are well known for their ability to spread disease with Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis and more all being transmitted through the bite of a tick.

Treatment options for fleas and ticks

We have combined these together since many flea and tick treatments have been combined together, helping owners save money and have greater ease of application. There are numerous different products available and our veterinary team will be able to make a recommendation, which will be based on the breed and size of your pet. Your choice of products will normally include a topical spot-on solution, a chewable tablet, and shampoos although some owners choose a combination of these. It is important that products are used exactly as directed for the safety of your pet.

If you spot a tick on your pet, you will need to remove it safely and without causing it to rupture blood as this could potentially infect you or your pet. You can purchase special tick removal tools, or you can remove it using a pair of clean tweezers, grasping it firmly behind the head and pulling it out clean. Once the tick has been removed, place it into a jar containing a small amount of alcohol to destroy it. If you remove a tick quickly enough, you could prevent it from passing any disease it is carrying onto your pet.

If your pet has fleas, you will need to ensure you treat your property as well as your pet. Choose products designed to eradicate them from your home, vacuum daily and seal and dispose of your vacuum bag each time. Pay special attention to floorboards, gaps under furniture and carpets as these are ideal locations for fleas and flea larvae to hide. You should also boil wash all of your pet’s bedding and any other soft furnishings you are concerned may have been affected.

If you would like more advice on heartworm, flea and tick treatment options, please don’t hesitate to contact us and get in touch with our experienced veterinary team.