Fleas, Ticks, and more
Dogs and cats can get flea and tick infestations. These insects feed on your pet’s blood and can cause health problems ranging from allergic reactions to serious tick-borne illnesses. Both fleas and ticks are more common during the warmer months, but they can survive in the warm indoor during cold winter seasons.
How can I tell if my pet has fleas or ticks?
Flea infestation signs:
- Flea droppings (dark specks) in the fur
- Flea eggs (white specks) in the fur
- Excessive licking or scratching
- Scabs or hot spots on the skin
- Anemia, pale gum and mucous membranes
Tick infestation signs:
You can feel ticks when you pet your dog or cat, and you can also sometimes see them. Ticks typically attach near the head, neck, ears or paws. On cats, they are usually found around the ears and eyes. Ticks can carry diseases so if you find a tick on your pet, try to remove it as soon as possible.
How can I prevent fleas and ticks on my dog?
We recommend pet owners take measures to reduce fleas and ticks in their yards and to use flea and tick prevention medications regularly during spring and summer.
What are the treatment options for dogs who have ticks?
Please call us at 204.489.9111 to speak to one of our team members and discuss treatment options and pricing.
Another common parasite that can affect the health of cats and dogs is heartworms. Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in pets. It is caused by foot-long worms (heartworms) that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease and heart failure and damage.
How does a dog get heartworms?
A dog can get infected with heartworms by the bite of an infected mosquito. There’s no other way dogs get heartworms, and there’s no way to tell if a mosquito is infected. That’s why prevention is so important.
What are the treatment options for heartworms?
Once your dog has a confirmed heartworm infection and is ready for heartworm treatment, our veterinarians will recommend a treatment protocol involving several steps. At Westwood Veterinary Hospital, we follow the guidelines and treatment protocols recommended by the American Heartworm Society. Please call us at 204.489.9111 for more information.
Why is the recovery from heartworm treatment so challenging?
During treatment and recovery, your dog’s activity has to be restricted, which might be challenging Your dog’s normal physical activities must be restricted as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed because physical exertion increases the rate at which the heartworms cause damage in the heart and lungs.
We suggest annual Heartworm and Tick 4DX screening tests whether or not your pet is vaccinated. The 4Dx blood screening test checks your pet for heartworm disease and three common tick-borne diseases: Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis.