How Dangerous Are Fleas and Ticks, Really?

As some of us get into warmer weather the threat of ticks and fleas comes to the forefront of our vets' minds.  Here in my area of the US people have started getting outside more with their pets.  I personally have found 2 ticks on me personally from one outing!  So ultimately how diligent should we as pet parents be with the flea and tick prevention?  Very diligent!  There are so many diseases these little creatures can pass along and it is so easy to prevent.  What are the diseases?  Well here are a few:  flea allergies, fur loss from the itching, if the fleas are in large numbers then anemia can occur which can be deadly, ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, can cause Ehrlichiosis, and Lyme Disease.  Tapeworms are also extremely common when there is a flea issue.  Tapeworms occur when a flea is ingested by your pet (dog or cat).  They are not contagious but definitely need to be treated and you will need to treat all of your pets and your home and potentially your yard for fleas.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=318

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/ticks-and-fleas-on-cats

A picture of flea dirt

So how do you know if your pet has fleas?  Well something called "flea dirt" is the best way to tell.  What does "flea dirt" look like?  Below is a picture of flea dirt in fur.  It literally looks like dirt; however, it is not dirt.  It is actually flea feces which is really gross to think about.  In order to help keep this from happening we can put the monthly flea prevention on our pets to keep them safe from this type of thing.  It can be dangerous and life threatening if it is not take care of in a timely fashion.  I have personally seen cats whose gums and paw pads were white from anemia due to flea infestation.  It is not a fun situation for them or you.

So what about ticks?  Are there ticks that are more dangerous than others?  All ticks should be repelled regardless as they can all spread a disease.  So my answer is no, there is no tick more dangerous than another since we should treat all ticks the same.  I've included some links below to common ticks to two areas and a link to the CDC regarding ticks in the US and abroad.  Just because you live or travel outside of the US does not mean you do not have to worry about bringing ticks back with you.

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/ticks

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/ticks.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/abroad.html

If you find a tick on you and it is crawling, then just get it off you.  If it is attached to you then precautions should be taken and there are lots of ways to remove the tick whole which is what you want to do.  Do not use anything other than what is listed here on the CDC website and the suggestions from either the Drs. Fosters and Smith or your vet.  There are a number of things you don't want to have happen and having the tick deposit more of it's diseased saliva into you or your pet is one of them.  Just try not to panic first if you see one.

http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=62

The most important thing to do for you and your pet is prevention.  Flea, tick and heartworm prevention is key for your dog and flea and tick prevention for your cat.  Use Deet products on yourself while you're outside.  This way everyone will have a great time and the bugs can stay where they were meant to be...outside.

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Should I Give Heartworm and Flea/Tick Prevention To My Pet?

I encourage everyone to give Heartworm and Flea/Tick prevention to their dogs.  While cats have a much harder time contracting heartworms they do need monthly flea prevention.  Your animals are indoor animals?  That's great!  You are not 100% indoor so these little bugs can hitch a ride on you and then come in to get on your pet.

Whether or dog is stricktly indoor except for potty breaks or not is irrelavent to the need for heartworm prevention.  The prevention is so much easier than the treatment if they are infected.  All it takes is one mosquito and we all know how sneaky those little creatures are.  They can get into your home whether you want them to or not.  They can also get in whether or not you treat your home for insects.  Again, we humans can bring them inside since we are not 100% indoors.

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/heartworm-prevention-medicine-dogs

http://heartwormtreatment-fordogs.com/immiticide-treatment-and-side-effects/

The treatment for heart worms is very hard on a dog's body.  The vet injects a medication called Immiticide into your dog to kill the worms that are living in his/her heart.  This drug is basically arsenic.  It is not a high enough dose to kill your dog but does kill the worms.  Then your dog has to stay quiet (no playing) for a few weeks and then there's another dose of this arsenic drug.  Then more quiet time.  Depending on the severity of the disease will dictate treatment but it is definitely hard on the body regardless.

There are a wide variety of prevention options out on the market today and if you want to know what I use on my dogs and cats I will be happy to tell you if you send me a note.  I have included links so you will be able to do more research on this topic if you would like.  There is a lot of information and it can be confusing.  Please talk to your vet about purchasing prevention.  It is definitely better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your pet's health.

As always, I'm interested in any comments or questions any of you may have regarding this post.