Whether you’re dealing with your own skin, or your pets, no one wants to suffer from insect and vermin bites. Fleas and ticks are some of the most frustrating and troubling little creatures that people have to deal with. Both are carried in from outside by your pets and both cause painful bites. In addition they are carriers of disease.
Both cats and dogs can be carriers of ticks and fleas. Preventing them from entering the home is great. However, if fleas or ticks get in, then it’s time for treatment. It’s important to recognize that there is no universal “dog cat flea medicine” or item along those lines. Cats and dogs have very different physiology. Using a treatment for one on the other can have dangerous or life threatening consequences. Keep reading to learn how to keep yourself and your pets safe from fleas and ticks.
How Fleas and Ticks Affect Humans
While it’s true that these will affect your pets more than they affect humans, each of these pests can be quite frustrating to deal with. In the past, fleas were carriers of bubonic plague. Now, they do carry some diseases, though not quite as devastating. Flea bites are painful and itchy and often happen as you sleep.
When it comes to ticks, they cause less irritation with their bites. However, the main danger is in the two big diseases that they can spread. Ticks are known for spreading both lyme diseases, as well as rocky mountain spotted fever. Typically, lyme disease can be dangerous as it spreads throughout the body after the tick bite. Early symptoms include fevers, chills, fatigue, headaches, rash. and muscle aches. Later symptoms are more severe and can add arthritis in the joints, neck stiffness, irregular heartbeats, numbness and inflammation of the spinal cord or brain! Memory problems will often occur as well. Some people have trouble with their sleeping habits and are very moody. Essentially, lyme disease is incredibly unpleasant.
Prevention and Treatment for Cats
In reality, the best flea treatment for cats is to never get them in the first place. That’s why a home should be kept very clean. That way the signs of fleas and ticks can be more quickly identified. If a cat is scratching excessively, then a manual check should be done in the fur, looking for fleas or flea eggs. Some people believe the best treatment for cat fleas is a flea collar. Flea collars can be rather abrasive, with high doses of chemicals. Other topical treatments can also suffer from the same issue. One alternative treatment option is the flea medicines cats take orally. These oral treatments are best for handling and removing adult fleas from the cat. Tick prevention starts outside. Keeping a clean yard is important if your cat spends time outdoors. Otherwise, check your cat for ticks bites. They latch on and it can be quite apparent on a cat.
Prevention for Dogs
The basic flea prevention for dogs is much the same as cats. Dogs are typically more willing to take baths than a cat is, so using flea shampoos or a “flea dip” is a more common option for flea prevention. Tick prevention is more difficult with dogs. Walking dogs outside means that they will be exposed to the long grassy areas where ticks make their homes most commonly. While those walks are important for dog health, the exposure to potential ticks can backfire. The best choice is to try to avoid areas with really long unkempt grass where ticks and fleas thrive. Dog tick and flea treatment is often combined into one. Many of the products available in oral or topical form will protect against both. Some oral options also protect against heartworm. There’s really no such thing as a free dog flea tick medicine. However, there are often drives to help protect dogs from ticks. Discounts are sometimes offered by shelters and veterinary services. They do this to help keep animals safe, and to reduce the amount of flea and tick based illnesses they have to deal with later in the season.