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Fleas and ticks are more than just a nuisance. They can make your pet extremely uncomfortable and cause several different types of illnesses, like flea allergy dermatitis and tapeworm infestations. North Jersey Veterinary Hospital can evaluate your fur baby to determine the best type of flea prevention medication.
Fleas and ticks carry diseases that can cause serious harm to your pet. The most common problem associated with fleas is flea allergy dermatitis, which causes excessive itching, skin inflammation, sores and hair loss. The second most common problem associated with fleas is tapeworms. Fleas can carry tapeworm eggs, and when the flea bites your pet, the egg can be deposited under your pet’s skin, causing a tapeworm infestation.
Ticks are known to carry many different types of bacteria that can cause zoonosis, rocky mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. Lyme disease causes lethargy, painful joints, decrease in appetite, and in some cases kidney damage. Rocky
Mountain spotted fever can cause skin lesions, vomiting, problems with your pet’s nervous system and depression.
For pets who are small or advanced in age, a severe flea infestation can cause anemia, which is characterized by rapid breathing, lack of appetite and excessive sleeping. If you suspect your pet has anemia due to fleas, it is an emergency situation
When it comes to preventing fleas and ticks, there are several different types of medications available, including, oral tablets, spot-on treatments and flea collars. North Jersey Veterinary Hospital can help you decide which method is best for your pet, depending on his or her lifestyle.
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease. Mosquito’s plays an essential role in the heartworm life cycle. Mosquito’s take baby worms from infected animals and transmit them to unsuspecting dogs and cats. These worms travel through the blood stream and set up shop in your animals’ heart. Once inside a new host, it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms.
In the early stages of the disease, many dogs show few symptoms or no symptoms at all. It is more likely symptoms will show with persistent heartworm infection, very active animals, and immunocompromised animals. Signs to look for include coughing, exercise intolerance, and weight loss. If disease progresses lung disease and heart failure may develop. Due to the typical lack of signs we highly recommended heartworm testing and preventative.
Dogs: All should be tested annually for heartworm infection. Puppies under 7 months of age can be started on heartworm prevention without a heartworm. Then tested 6 months after your initial visit and yearly to ensure they are heartworm-free. Dogs over 7 months of age and previously not on a preventive need to be tested prior to starting heartworm prevention. If you miss a dose then your fur baby should be tested prior to restarting prevention.
It is necessary to test annually even when on prevention. Though heartworm medications are highly effective life happens: missed dosage, late dosage, vomiting, or even hiding uneaten pills for those crafty pups.
Cats: Atypical host for heartworms, and most worms do not survive to the adult stage. This disease goes mostly undiagnosed in cats, but immature worms can cause damage. Prevention is the key in protecting your cats since there is no effective treatment for this condition.
When it comes to preventing heartworm disease, there are several different types of medications available, including oral tablets, spot-on treatments and injections. North Jersey Veterinary Hospital can help you decide which method is best for your pet, depending on his or her lifestyle.
Please click HERE to learn more about Heartworm Disease in you fur babies.
© North Jersey Veterinary Hospital 2022 Site by The Mystic