Parasite Prevention

WE ARE A NO FLEA CLINIC.  If your pet is found to be carrying fleas it will be treated with a flea adulticide to maintain the clinic flea free for other pets and clients.

Flea, tick, and intestinal parasite treatment and prevention is extremely important to prolonging your pet's quality of life and can impact your life, too.

Fleas can carry tapeworm eggs which your pet ingests with the flea when it is chewing or grooming.  It is strongly recommended that once your pet has been found with fleas that it also be dewormed for tapeworms.  Flea infestation in some animals can cause extreme irritation and even an allergic reaction in your pet, as well as in you and your family members.  Flea eggs and pupae (or cocoon stage) are very resistant to chemicals and harsh environments, which means to eliminate or control the flea population you need to interfere in the egg production stage of the flea life cycle.  We recommend a monthly flea preventative to keep both your pet and your pet's living space flea free.

Ticks are vectors of diseases that can affect both you and your pet.  For example, the American Dog Tick is a potential carrier of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Deer Tick can carry Lyme Disease.  We recommend a monthly tick preventative if your pet is at risk for coming into contact with ticks.  Ticks are commonly found in brushy areas and areas with wildlife, such as deer, elk, coyotes, fox, raccoons, squirrels, and opossums.

Dogs and cats can have intestinal parasites living within their intestines and heart. There are different types of worms and organisms that will use your pet's intestines for a host.  Mosquitoes can carry heartworm larvae, which it injects into your pet's skin.  The larva then makes it's way to the heart where it grows and causes heart failure.  It is important to have a regular stool check (fecal screen) for intestinal parasites in addition to regular deworming for roundworms and tapeworms.  A simple blood test can detect heartworm infection.  Unlike what is commonly thought, the majority of animals infected with intestinal worms and organisms have normal formed stools with no visible worms.  Of importance is that many of these parasites and worms are transferable to people, especially children.  Puppies and kittens routinely pick up intestinal parasites from their mothers and their environment, which is why it is important to deworm puppies and kittens, as well as adult dogs and cats, to ensure that they are protected against any worms and parasites that can affect their intestinal and overall health and be passed to the people who love and care for them.