Recent years have marked the warmest winters and overall weather ever recorded in the continental United States1. While the mild temperatures and early spring weather have been great for getting outside with your pets, it also means an earlier flea and tick season.

Ticks survive the winter in microclimates, and after the thaw a feeding and breeding female tick can lay hundreds to thousands of eggs at one time2. Fleas can survive freezing temperatures on wild or feral animals, cocooned as immature pupae, or inside houses and buildings3. With temperatures in the 50s, 60’s, and even 70s, an early spring also means an early season for these bloodsucking parasites.

It’s practically impossible to keep fleas and ticks completely at bay. But there are some steps you can take to try and minimize the opportunities for contact with your pet.

Difference Between Fleas and Ticks

Fleas

Wildlife, including opossums, coyotes, raccoons, and skunks, and even untreated cats and dogs can deposit flea eggs into a yard. It may be possible to reduce flea infestations by limiting the access these animals have around your house and yard. Your local nursery or garden professional may have some advice on what to plant or other strategies to discourage animal trespassers.

Ticks

It can be helpful for pet owners to alter the landscape around their homes to make it unsuitable for ticks and their hosts. For example, keep the lawn mowed, remove leaf litter accumulations and prune shrubs and trees.4

Contact a professional pest specialist if you have any questions regarding environmental treatments for ticks.

Use a Flea and Tick Control Product

Despite your efforts to reduce the fleas and ticks in your yards, our pets may still be exposed to these parasites, so you should take measures to help protect them. Treat all dogs and cats in the household with a flea and tick control product. One untreated pet can lead to a flea infestation in the household. Topical products can help protect your dog from unexpected flea and tick sources by killing adult fleas, eggs and larvae, and all stages of ticks.

Consistency is key. Even one missed dose of your monthly flea and tick control can set the stage for a flea infestation that takes months to resolve, or put your pet at greater risk of exposure to a tick borne disease. So be sure you treat your pet now and continue monthly applications throughout the rest of the year.

• 1. State of the Climate Report: National Overview February 2012. National Climatic Data Center Web site. Accessed March 8, 2012.
• 2. Stafford K. Tick Management Handbook. New Haven, CT: the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station; 2007.
• 3. Rust M, Dryden M. The Biology, Ecology, and Management of the Cat Flea. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 1997; 42:451–73
• 4. Bladburn BL, et al. Biology, treatment and control of flea and tick infestations. Vet Clin Small Anim. 2009:39:1173-1200.

The post How To help Protect Your Dog Against Fleas And Ticks appeared first on Cesar's Way.

By Cesar Millan

When we adopt a dog we make a promise, which is a commitment to provide for their needs for the rest of their lives. This doesn’t just mean feeding them and walking them, though.

If a dog has behavioral issues, it is our responsibility to figure out what’s causing them and to solve the problem. Returning a misbehaving dog to a shelter is not an option. And if a dog has health issues, we are also responsible for doing what is necessary to take care of them.

But providing for a dog’s health doesn’t just mean going to the vet when the dog is sick. We need to provide preventative care as well, which includes not only regular check-ups, but also taking steps to make sure our dogs do not fall victim to two of the most common dangers out there: fleas and ticks.

Why are Such Tiny Things so Dangerous? Let’s Find Out.

Fleas

Fleas have been around longer than humans or dogs and survived when many other species became extinct. In the modern day, some fleas only live on one specific type of animal. Others are happy on many kinds of animals, including birds and mammals. And, of course, mammals includes humans, dogs, and cats, among many other species.

A single pregnant flea can produce up to four thousand eggs at a time, which take about three weeks to mature to adulthood. Untreated, one pregnant flea can lead to billions of descendants in just a few weeks.

Because fleas drink blood, they also spread disease, not only between animals of the same species, but between species. This includes viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It also includes the bubonic plague, making fleas one of the biggest killers of humans ever. The infamous Black Death during the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries in Europe killed two hundred million people.

In dogs, fleas can transmit tapeworm, cause uncomfortable but non-threatening conditions like skin irritation, or induce fatal levels of anemia.

Ticks

Ticks are equally as ancient as fleas, and also dine on the blood of their hosts. Their life cycles are much longer than fleas and they do not reproduce in the same numbers or as quickly, but many species of ticks must have a blood meal before they can move on to the next stage of their development.

Like fleas, ticks also spread disease, and can infect a host with multiple diseases at the same time. These include things like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but ticks can also cause blood clotting through transmission of bacteria, as well as an allergic reaction to red meat, which is particularly dangerous to carnivores, like dogs and humans.

Unlike fleas, a tick’s eggs can be infected while they’re still inside the mother, so a tick can be born infectious — and there are a lot of diseases that ticks can give to your dog, several of which can be fatal.

Prevention is the Best Cure

In another article, we explain how to keep your home free of fleas and ticks, but your dogs still have to go outside to walk, and outside is full of these pests as well. That’s why it’s important to use a topical flea treatment that eliminates the problem on your dog.

Talk to your veterinarian about a topical anti-flea and tick product, which not only kills adult fleas and ticks, but destroys the eggs and larva as well. Remember that 4,000 egg number? This is why only killing the adults, like shampoos do, is ineffective. Shampoos rinse off, but topical treatments last for thirty days, which is slightly longer than the entire egg to adult cycle.

Killing ticks outright is also much more effective than trying to remove them yourself. If not done properly, you can wind up leaving a tick’s head stuck in your dog’s skin, which can lead to further complications.

Ticks are also notoriously difficult to crush, so even if you do manage to pull one out alive, there’s a good chance it can escape and hide, meaning it can latch onto your dog (or you) when it’s feeding time again. And remember: ticks have to eat before they can move on to the next stage in their life cycle, so it’s not a matter of if, but when.

As summer begins, so does the prime flea and tick season, although they can be a danger year-round in warmer, humid climates. They are also a nearly invisible danger. So you owe it to your dogs, and to yourself, to take every precaution possible to keep that promise and provide for their needs, now and for the rest of their lives.

The post Conquering An Invisible Threat appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Getting Rid of Fleas

1. For a pet owner, the arrival of warm, humid summer weather also means it’s flea season once again. If you happen to find the annoying little insects on your baby, remember to treat your house at the same time you treat your hound to prevent re-infestation.
2. Thoroughly wash all of your pet’s bedding with a gentle detergent. You should also wash any sheets or blankets on your bed or sofa, especially if she’s allowed to be on the furniture.
3. Give your best friend a good bath. Mix a natural insecticide (eucalyptus oil for instance) into her shampoo bottle — about six drops for every 32 ounces should do the trick. After the bath, comb her out with a fine-toothed comb specifically designed to remove any leftover fleas and dirt.  Then talk with your veterinarian about using a topical flea-killing product.
4. If you see you have a problem in one particular room, buy a dehumidifier for it and keep it set at under 50 percent. Fleas require humidity to be above 50 percent, so this will kill adult fleas and larvae. After two days, vacuum the room to remove all the dead fleas and their eggs.
5. Use a flea spray that contains an insect growth regulator (IGR) on floors, carpet, and all of your pet’s favorite sleeping spots. Make sure to spray under furniture and especially around baseboards. Make sure all of your pets are outside or in another room when you’re spraying.

Look out! Tiny bits of black dirt on your pet’s bedding are flea poop — an indication that fleas are present.

Removing a Tick From Your Dog

It can take a tick from 24 to 48 hours to transmit an infection to your dog after it has latched on to his skin. If your pup is spending time outdoors, especially in wooded, leafy, or grassy areas, it’s important to check him daily. Slowly run your hands over his entire body. Check between his toes, under his legs, and in and around his ears. If you feel a bump, investigate thoroughly to see if a tick has attached itself.

Found one? Don’t panic! Follow these steps to safely remove the pest from your pet.

1. You’ll need the following supplies: gloves, tweezers, isopropyl alcohol, and antiseptic.With gloves on — to avoid transmitting disease — grasp the tick as close to your dog’s skin as possible with the tweezers. Pull outward in a straight motion. Check to make sure you got all of the tick, as infections can occur if everything is not removed.
2. Fill a small container with isopropyl alcohol and store the tick in it. If your dog’s skin becomes irritated or he begins displaying symptoms of a tick-borne illness, having the tick will be helpful in diagnosing his issues. Bring the container with the tick with you to the vet for tests.
3. Clean the skin with antiseptic and rinse the tweezers with the alcohol. Wash your hands and give your pooch a treat for being a great patient.

Some symptoms of tick diseases… Fever, loss of appetite, difficulty walking, swollen joints, fatigue, vomiting, redness around the affected area, enlarged lymph nodes, and more.

Removing Burrs from Hair

These prickly seeds can be found on some plants and will stick to your dog’s (or cat’s) fur if he comes into contact with them. It’s important to try to remove burrs as soon as possible. Besides being uncomfortable, they can become embedded in skin, which can lead to an infection.

1. Begin by removing any loose burrs with a metal comb.
2. Crush the sandspurs (spines) with a pair of pliers. This will make the burrs easier to remove. Be careful to not pinch yourself or your dog while doing so.
3. Gently pull mats apart with your fingers, and then brush out burrs with a comb. A little bit of olive or vegetable oil can help you with stubborn areas.
4. If any burrs are still stuck, you may have to resort to cutting your dog’s fur. Take him to a professional if there’s any potentially dangerous scissor-work involved.

TIP! Wear garden gloves during removal to help keep burrs out of your skin.

The post Fleas And Ticks And Burrs — Oh My! appeared first on Cesar's Way.