Why Your Pet Needs to Be on Parasite Prevention Even in the Winter

With winter here and the thermometer taking a dip, you may think it's safe to skip a dose or two of your pet's parasite prevention medication. The truth is, fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes know no off-season. Here are three reasons why you should never skip your pet's parasite prevention.

#1: Fleas can make an allergic pet itchy any time of year

You may think your pet with allergies is safe from itching and scratching during the winter, but if your furry pal is hypersensitive to flea bites, they still can suffer allergic reactions. The various flea life stages can lurk in your warm home environment all year long.

#2: Tick-borne diseases can cause lifelong illnesses

Ticks are hardy creatures, and so are the diseases they transmit. For example, if a black-legged tick transmits Lyme disease to your pet, antibiotics can knock down the pathogen load, but flare-ups can occur for the rest of their life.

#3: Heartworm disease is difficult to treat in dogs

When an infected mosquito bites your pet and transmits immature heartworm larvae, it takes approximately six months for the worms to reach adulthood. A dog infected with adult heartworms may need to undergo months of treatment and exercise restriction.

Does your pet need more parasite prevention medication? Call us or stop by our hospital to stock up.