​Learn about ticks here:
​https://www.tickcheck.com/info/tick-identification
General info:
Fleas and ticks are common external parasites found on dogs and cats.  These parasites can carry many different diseases which can affect the health of your pet.  One of the best ways to keep you pet from getting any of these diseases is to prevent fleas and ticks from biting them in the first place.  There are many different product available to help, there are collars, topical medications, and even oral medications.  Each pet is an individual and therefore what may work well for one, may not work as well for another.  Some people don’t like using topical medications because they can leave a greasy spot on their back for about 24 hours after being applied, collars or oral medications may be a better option.   Some pets are difficult to give pills to, so topical medications or collars may be a better choice.  If your pets swims a lot, the efficacy of topicals and collars may be affected, oral preventatives may be the better choice for these pets.

The prevalence of fleas and tick may change through out the year based on weather.  Ticks tend to like cooler, wet weather, therefore you see them more in the spring and fall, they will even appear in the winter if there are a few days in a row of mild weather, they tend to disappear during the hottest months of the summer.  Fleas prefer hot, dry weather, so they are seen more in the summer.  Flea and tick preventive is typically needed March through November, however it can sometimes be stopped in July and August if fleas aren’t a problem and you aren’t seeing any ticks, it can be used as needed in the winter based on whether or not ticks are out.

Heartworm is a parasite that mostly affects dogs, however in rare cases, cats can also be affected by heartworms.  Heartworm is spread through mosquito bites.  In recent years we have seen more cases of heartworm.  While it is not very common in this area, with dogs traveling around the country more and many dogs being shipped from kill-shelters in the South to non-kill shelters in this area, heartworm is becoming more common.  Because of this, we recommend giving heart worm preventative every month throughout the year.

Here is a list of flea and tick preventatives and heartworm preventives that we commonly use and carry.

Dogs:

K9 Advantix: A topical medication which prevents fleas tick, mosquitos, biting flies and lice.  K9 Advantix can be given as young as 7 weeks and each treatment last one month. *Toxic to Cats*

Seresto Collar: A collar which prevents fleas, tick flea larvae, and lice.  Seresto collars can be worn by puppies as young as 7 weeks and lasts up to 8 months.

Bravecto: A chewable tablet given to prevent fleas and ticks.  Each dose of Bravecto lasts for 12 weeks but the puppy must be at least 6 months old.

Nexgard: A chewable tablet for the prevention of fleas and ticks.  Nexgard can be given as young as 8 weeks old and should be given monthly.

Sentinel: A chewable tablet which controls heartworm, fleas, hookworms, roundworms and whipworms.   Sentinel is given monthly and can treat dogs that are over 2 pounds.

Heartgard: A chew that prevents heartworm, roundworms, and hookworms.  Heartgard can be started as young as 6 weeks old and is given monthly.


​Cats:

Frontline: A topical medication for to prevents fleas and ticks.  Frontline can be used on cats 8 weeks of age and older and each treatment last for a month.

Bravecto: A topical medication for the prevention of fleas and ticks in cats over 6 months of age. Each treatment lasts 12 weeks.

Advantage: A topical treatment for the prevention of fleas in cats 8 weeks and older, each treatment last one month.

Revolution:  A topical medication that treats heartworm, fleas, tick, earmites, roundworms, and hookworms.