Four bugs to be aware of this summer with your pets

Summer is a great time to spend quality time outdoors with your furry friend, but beware of bugs! There are several bugs that can be irritating and harmful for our furry friends. Here’s what to look out for: 

1. Mosquitoes 

Mosquitoes can be annoying for our animals, and cause local irritation, but the major concern is that they can transmit heartworm. 

Speak to your veterinarian about preventative heartworm medication for your dog during mosquito season. If the animal contracts the disease, treatment is costly, lengthy, and has health risks involved. 

2. Fleas 

Adult fleas spend only around five percent of their life on an animal; the other 95 percent spent is spent elsewhere, digesting food and laying eggs. Fleas jump on an animal to consume blood, which they need to reproduce.  

Because flea bites are irritating, the animal will bite and scratch to relieve the itching, which can cause secondary skin trauma and lead to a skin infection. Young or compromised animals with a heavy flea burden can actually suffer from anemia. 

In addition to the yuck factor of having fleas in your home, and the toll it takes on your animal, a big concern with fleas is that they can transfer tapeworm. 

Always speak to your veterinarian before attempting to treat a flea infestation to ensure you use products that are safe for your animal and their environment. Read more on how to eliminate fleas.  

3. Ticks 

Ticks are attracted to three things: body motion, body heat, and carbon dioxide, making your furry friends the perfect target as they run and sniff around outside. 

Ticks are ground-dwellers, so they move from low shrubbery, or the ground, to latch onto your furry friends. Ticks can be found anywhere on the body, especially parts of your animal that sit closest to the ground: neck, head, around the ears, the front part and underside of their chest, and between paw pads and toes. 

Ticks can transmit Lyme disease among other tick-borne illnesses, and they can move between animals, which is why it’s important to check your furry family members when they come inside from playing.  

To learn more about what ticks are and where they can be found, check out Tick Prevention for Your Dog.   

Speak to your veterinarian about tickborne diseases in your area and the safest and most effective tick prevention products for your animal.  

4. Flies 

Biting flies like black flies, horse flies and deer flies are attracted to our furry friends for their blood. Companion animals who spend a lot of time outdoors and who live near water or farms may be especially susceptible.  

Fly bites may be seen most around the ears, nose and on the belly, where hair is sparse. These bites can be painful and may result in an allergic reaction in some furry friends. While fly bites may heal on their own without issue, bites have the potential to become itchy and irritated. This can lead to secondary skin infections where the skin is sore, infected and crusted with blood, in turn attracting more flies. Talk to your vet about pet-friendly fly-repellant available for companion animals. 

With these bug precautions in mind, enjoy some quality outdoor time with your furry friend! If this information was helpful, please help us continue to educate about pet health and well-being by making a donation