Weathering Flea and Tick Outbreaks: The Three-Step Protection Process
The presence of fleas and ticks in your home and on your pet is unwelcome and downright irritating. Fleas and ticks are common external parasites that feed on hosts—usually your cat or dog—and can cause discomfort and potentially, serious illness. Fleas can transmit tapeworms when they are ingested by pets, and their bites can produce intense itching and allergic skin reactions, while ticks may transfer Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Naturally, you’ll want to protect your best friend and prevent these health issues.
Heading Off Trouble
If you wonder whether your dog has fleas, observe him for signs of repetitive scratching and biting at the skin or hair loss. Cats often display the same signs, along with pale lips and gums. If you notice these symptoms contact your veterinarian.
To conduct a spot check, part the hair on your pet’s coat and look for tiny black running bodies. For cats, focus primarily on the neck area. To catch fleas, run a flea comb upward through your cat’s or dog’s coat. Keep a white paper towel handy and empty the hair onto the towel. You’ll see adult fleas scatter.
Fleas and ticks are easier to spot on short-coated pets, but to find them on a longer-coated pet, gently roll him over and look at the relatively hairless areas of the stomach, groin, and under the tail.
Triple Threat
If your pet has fleas, your home and garden are also likely infested. Fleas spring up in many parts of the country throughout the year, although they prefer a humid, wet climate.
To rid your pet and its surroundings of fleas and to prevent them from coming back, wage a three-stage war on these beasties. Provide immediate relief, continue protection, and eliminate fleas and ticks around your house and yard. Fleas reproduce and travel quickly, so you’ll need to treat your home and outdoor area at the same time.
Step one: Provide Immediate Relief:
Of course, you’ll want to give your pet immediate relief from itching. Begin by killing biting fleas and ticks on your dog by bathing him with Bio Spot Active Care™ Flea & Tick Shampoo for Dogs & Puppies or Bio Spot® Shampoo for Dogs & Puppies (oatmeal conditioning); if you have a cat, try Bio Spot Active Care™ Flea & Tick Shampoo for Cats & Kittens.
Step two: Provide Continuing Protection
Continue warding off fleas and ticks all year round by using a product like Bio Spot Active Care™ Flea & Tick Spot On®. Available for cats and dogs of various weight classes, Bio Spot Active Care™ Flea & Tick Spot On® works with the biology of your pet to kill ticks*, fleas, flea eggs, and flea larvae for up to one month. Bio Spot Active Care™ Flea & Tick Spot On® contains **Infest Stop™, a powerful insect growth regulator that breaks the flea life cycle before fleas can develop into breeding adults The formulas also kill and repel mosquitoes that may otherwise infect your pets with heartworms.
*deer ticks on cats
**(S)-Methoprene
Step Three: Help Eliminate Fleas and Ticks Around Your Home and Yard
Treat Your Home
95% of most flea populations is found in the form of eggs, larvae and pupae. These pre-adult forms are hard to see, so pet owners often overlook them. What’s more, flea eggs and larvae may have taken hold in places you haven’t even considered, like bedding, carpets, furniture, and outdoor areas. Use the Bio Spot Active Care™ Flea & Tick Carpet Powder and Carpet Spray or the Bio Spot Active Care™ Indoor Fogger to kill adult fleas, flea eggs and larvae, and ticks inside your home.
Treat Your Yard
Because fleas and ticks thrive in long grass and shady plants, keep your lawn mowed and remove tall weeds. Clip low-hanging bush branches off the ground and try to keep your dog away from ground cover and leafy plants. Add Bio Spot Active Care™ Yard & Garden Spray to your lawn-care plan for large outdoor areas.
Bio Spot Active Care, Bio Spot and Infest Stop are trademarks of Farnam Companies, Inc. Spot On is a registered trademark of Wellmark International.