Dogs and cats, along with their owners, have one common enemy: fleas. While the summer months are when fleas are at their worst, a pet can be infested with fleas at any time of year. Fleas jump, so even if only one pet in a household has fleas, the others can soon be affected as well. Fleas also will jump onto humans to feed and they can easily infest furniture or carpets if the pets lay on the furniture or floors.
There are many commercial over the counter flea treatments on the market, along with several prescription medications to pets for fleas. Although flea treatments work in varying degrees for pets, dogs and cats have to be treated because flea bites can result in passing deadly diseases to the animals. One of the most common pet diseases transmitted by fleas is heartworm. Both dogs and cats can get heartworm through a flea bite and it can’t always be detected until its later stages, but by then, it can be too late to save the pet.
Effective treatments for fleas include flea shampoos, flea dips, or medications that are applied to the skin of the animal to kill off fleas. If over the counter treatments don’t seem to help get rid of fleas, a veterinarian at an Animal Hospital in Yorktown NY should be able to prescribe a stronger medication to help. Along with infesting pets and the house, fleas will make cats and dogs miserable with their insistent biting. Dogs may whine when they are being continuously bitten and both cats and dogs can scratch themselves until they bleed if their flea infestation is not treated.
Usually, flea treatments have to be repeated every three months, especially those bought in pet stores. It is important to maintain this schedule to keep both pets and homes flea free. For more advice on getting rid of fleas, contact one of the vets at an Animal Hospital in Yorktown NY or go online to website URL for more information about treating fleas. Getting rid of fleas will help pets be more comfortable, as well as be healthier too.
