Parasite Season is Coming

As we approach springtime with longer days and warmer temperatures, we will start seeing more parasites afflicting our companion pets. Dogs and cat that go outdoors are most at risk, but even indoor-only pets can be victims of various pesky parasites.

The Big Three – Fleas, Ticks and Heartworms

Fleas inhabit both indoor and outdoor environments and can complete their life cycle from hatching egg to adult flea in as little as 3 weeks. If the climate is not ideal, the pupa stage can remain dormant until conditions improve. This is why an apartment that has been empty for months can suddenly become infested within hours of a dog or cat entering the space – all the dormant flea pupae hatch into adults at once! Fleas are blood-sucking parasites that feed

on domestic pets, mostly cats and dogs. Fleas carry a number of diseases that can be passed to pets and a heavy infestation of fleas on a small, young, sick or debilitated pet can cause life-threatening anemia. Many cats and dogs are so allergic to fleas that just 1 flea bite every few weeks can keep a sensitive pet constantly itchy, leading to severe skin infections.

Ticks are mostly outdoor parasites that survive in tall grass and leaf litter. Ticks are relentless blood-suckers that carry many diseases, including Lyme, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Babesiosis. While cats are resistant to most of these diseases, there is a tick-borne disease called Cytauxzoonosis that can be rapidly fatal in cats. Ticks are hardy parasites that can be active year-round in most climates. Ticks will go dormant in temperatures below 40 degrees and in very dry conditions, but it takes sustained very cold

temperatures to kill even a few ticks. Temperatures below 10 degrees for several consecutive days will kill roughly 20% of dormant ticks. Most ticks will burrow into leaf litter and survive, particularly if they are under an insulating layer of snow.

Heartworms are parasites that are transmitted through mosquito bites. Heartworms can infect cats and dogs but the course of the disease is quite different. Dogs are often infested with many heartworms that lodge in the heart and the large arteries in the lungs. Adult heartworms can survive in the dog’s body for up to 2 years. Untreated, heartworm disease in dogs will eventually cause heart failure and death. In cats, the disease affects the lungs more than the

heart. Cats typically have a very small worm burden, but the migrating worm larvae will cause severe inflammation in the lung tissue. This inflammation causes coughing, wheezing and sometimes sudden death.

The best way to manage these parasites and nasty diseases is to treat your pet with preventive medications all year. There are many products available for parasite prevention, so the key is to be sure whatever you choose for your pets provides appropriate comprehensive coverage. Products come in topical, oral and injectable forms and may need to be administered monthly, quarterly or annually, depending on the product. The pet parasite control product landscape is crowded and confusing – ask us to help you make the best choices for your pets.

For Dogs:

The All-in-one option

• Simparica Trio is an oral tablet given once a month that kills fleas, ticks and prevents heartworm disease. This medication is very effective when given routinely and side effects are minimal. This medication is not advised for dogs with known seizure disorders, but is otherwise safe and approved for puppies as young as 8 weeks and weighing at least 2.8 lbs.

The Once a year options

• Proheart12 injection is approved for dogs 12 months and older to prevent heartworm disease for 1 year.

• Bravecto Quantum is an injection approved for dogs and puppies 6 months and older that kills fleas and most ticks for 1 year. The product is labeled to kill Lonestar ticks for 8 months. This is not an appropriate choice for dogs with known seizure disorders.

Other choices

Heartworm prevention:

• Interceptor Plus or Heartgard Plus (and many generic versions) are approved for dogs and puppies 6 weeks and older. These are monthly oral medications that prevent heartworm disease and control intestinal parasites

Plus one of the following products for flea and tick control:

• Credelio is a monthly oral medication kills fleas and ticks and is approved for dogs and puppies 8 weeks and older and weighing at least 4.4 lbs. This product is not appropriate for dogs with known seizure disorders.

• Bravecto is an oral medication that kills fleas and most ticks for 3 months. The product is labeled to kill Lonestar ticks for 8 weeks. It is approved for dogs and puppies 6 months and older and weighing at least 4.4 lbs. This product is not appropriate for dogs with known seizure disorders.

• Seresto collars are available without a prescription and kill fleas and ticks for 8 months. The collar must be applied snugly and will lose efficacy if the collar gets wet with bathing or swimming.

• Frontline and Advantix are topical products available without a prescription that must be applied monthly. Both products will lose effectiveness if the dog swims or is bathed frequently.

For Cats:

• Revolution Plus is a monthly topical medication that prevents heartworm disease and kills fleas and ticks. It is approved for cats and kittens 8 weeks and older and weighing at least 2.8 lbs.

• Credelio is a monthly oral tablet that kills fleas and ticks. It is approved for cats and kittens 8 weeks and older and weighing at least 2 lbs. The product should be used with caution in cats with known neurologic disorders.

• Bravecto is a topical medication that kills fleas for 3 months and ticks for 2 months. It is approved for cats and kittens 6 months and older and weighing at least 2.6 lbs. This medication is not appropriate for cats with known neurologic disorders.

• Seresto collars are available without a prescription and are effective for control of fleas and ticks for 8 months. The collars are approved for use in cats and kittens 10 weeks and older.

• Frontline Plus is a topical product that is available without a prescription and kills fleas and ticks. The product needs to be applied monthly and is approved for cats and kittens 8 weeks and older.