Most gardening buffs look forward to spring and summer when the weather turns warmer and flowers bloom aplenty. However, to a dog or cat owner, these warmer months also spell the advent of flea and tick season. During this period, many tiny parasites appear into one’s home and torture not just the pets but humans as well.
In this guide, we will study how timely preparation can help you protect your beloved pets during the flea and tick season. A bit of prevention can go a long way in keeping your pets safe and healthy.
How to prepare for the flea season
Fleas and ticks require different control measures, but both are easier to manage with preparation. Warmer weather often increases activity, while local climate, animal hosts and indoor conditions affect the season. An infestation is not proof that an owner caused the problem or failed to keep a clean home.
Pets can encounter parasites in gardens, parks, kennels and other resting or walking areas even without direct contact with another animal. Ticks often wait on vegetation for a passing host; fleas frequently emerge near places animals rest. Not every park or patch of long grass is infested. Focus on your pet’s exposure, local risks and regular checks rather than assuming poor public maintenance is always the cause.
Let us look at some important ways of achieving this:
- Keep rubbish and food secured so rodents and other animals are less attracted to the property.
- Clean spilled bird seed and avoid leaving pet food outside. Wildlife visits do not automatically justify spraying an entire garden.
- Maintain vegetation around pet resting areas and keep pets away from known high-risk sites.
- Beneficial nematodes are a condition-dependent biological tool for some outdoor pests, not a guaranteed blanket preventive for both fleas and ticks. Identify the target and follow supplier guidance.
- Wash kennel and pet bedding and vacuum indoor resting places. Do not dust bedding with household diatomaceous earth or borax as a routine preventive. Any pesticide must be labeled for the exact use.
- Ask a vet about a continuing pet preventive before the expected season. A shampoo that kills some adults during bathing does not necessarily provide ongoing protection.
Spot-on flea and tick prevention
Another important part of preparation for the flea and tick season includes spot-on application for pets using preventive medications. Here are a few guidelines and safety precautions to follow when using these during the flea and tick season.
- Talk to your vet about using a product with appropriate flea and tick claims, such as the correct Frontline Plus formulation (see Frontline). Check the exact species, weight pack and tick interval; Advantage II, for example, is a flea product without a tick claim.
- Do not use products meant for dogs on cats and vice-a-versa as some of these can be downright harmful to the other species.
- Follow the label instructions on the products and use the right quantity based on the weight of the animal.
- Use the exact dose and interval on the current label or as prescribed. Do not assume a spot-on is intended for daily or weekly reapplication.
- If your pet is sick, pregnant, lactating, old or diseased, talk to your vet about usage of the right preventive spot on treatment.
- Watch for an adverse reaction, including drooling, vomiting, marked lethargy, tremors or unusual behavior. Contact a veterinarian promptly and follow the label’s first-aid directions. Do not treat drooling as automatically harmless or assume washing is the right response to every formulation.
- If you have multiple pets, give each an appropriate species-specific treatment. Keep them separated for the period required by the label, including until a topical application is dry, else they might accidentally groom each other and ingest the product.
Remember: flea season usually peaks during the warmer months whereas some species of ticks can be found all-year round, depending on where you live. Therefore, it is best to use preventative flea and tick products right at the beginning of the flea season or as per the guidance and advice of a vet.
Sources
- CDC: Getting rid of fleas
- University of Minnesota Extension: Fleas
- FDA: Safe use of flea and tick products in pets
- CDC: flea prevention
- CDC: where ticks live
- EPA: Frontline Plus for Dogs label
- Elanco: Advantage II
