| Helpful Pet Tips |
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| Fleas cause considerable irritation and distress to our pets. Severe infestations may lead to anemia from blood loss. Fleas spread tapeworms & carry several diseases. Flea bites cause rashes & sores on both pets & their owners. The best places to look for fleas on your pet are the hindquarters, base of the tail, stomach & groin areas. Sometimes no fleas are found but only tiny, black granules that resemble black pepper. This material is digested blood and means your pet has fleas! After eating, a female flea starts laying eggs within 2 days. She will produce 20-50 eggs per day for six weeks if not controlled. The eggs are slick & fall off the animal ending up in carpeting, crevices & dog houses. They hatch in a week & spend a week or more feeding before spinning a cocoon. While in a cocoon a flea is resistant to any chemical safe to use around humans. They can stay in the cocoon for a week to six months, & come out hungry when a mammal is nearby. ---and Some More! Fleas may have a 2 month head start by the time your pet is itching! In Kansas flea season is 12 months long. Prevention is the key! Your pet should be on a monthly flea product, such as Frontline or Advantage all year. Beware of look-alikes! Products that are purchased online or that claim to be just like Frontline may actually be harmful to your pet. Many flea products cannot be safely used together. Also, some products safe for dogs cannot be used on cats. Flea shampoos are ineffective for controlling fleas and can actually wash away your topical products. If you must bathe your pet between applications, be sure to use a soap-free shampoo. Flea infestations that do get started in your house can take several months (and dollars) to rectify. Microchipping Recently, we were part of a very special reunion. A Vizsla was presented to us for surgery. When she was scanned, technician Kathy Daily found a microchip. Dr. Davy called the microchip company and located the previous owner. It turned out that Annie (the Vizsla) had been missing for almost a year! Annie ran away May from Yoder, KS. Her ecstatic owners picked Annie up the very next day. We had never seen a more joyous reunion! Micro-chipping is safe, quick, & inexpensive: we charge $41.50, which includes the lifetime registration. It can be done at anytime during the pet's life. While it is never 100% certain your pet will be returned to you, micro-chipping is a highly effective way to ensure you are doing all you can to take responsibility for your pet. |
Got Fleas?
With the mild winter and wet spring we have had in the area, experts are
predicting a worse than average year for fleas and ticks. If you have not
already started a preventative program that includes an insect growth
regulator, you need to; before you see fleas and ticks. The product you
choose should be based on the lifestyle of your pet. There have been
several products that have recently become available that have the claim
"the same ingredient as Frontline". Be aware that these products do not
have the insect growth regulator that Frontline Plus has, nor do they
have the same carrier that "transports" the product across the pet's
body. The most expensive product you can buy is the one that will
not work! Call us today and we will help you decide which product best
suits your pet.
predicting a worse than average year for fleas and ticks. If you have not
already started a preventative program that includes an insect growth
regulator, you need to; before you see fleas and ticks. The product you
choose should be based on the lifestyle of your pet. There have been
several products that have recently become available that have the claim
"the same ingredient as Frontline". Be aware that these products do not
have the insect growth regulator that Frontline Plus has, nor do they
have the same carrier that "transports" the product across the pet's
body. The most expensive product you can buy is the one that will
not work! Call us today and we will help you decide which product best
suits your pet.
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