Getting The Facts On Fleas, Ticks, Heartworm And Kennel Cough

The most widely accepted external parasite treatments currently available for pets are Frontline, Advantage, Revolution and Bio-Spot. These well-known dog and cat flea treatments provide one month of solid protection.

Imidacloprid is the key ingredient in Advantage Flea that works to destroy the flea's nervous system, rendering the flea paralyzed and quickly ending its life. 98 to 100 percent of the fleas die within the first 12 hours of application.

Brands such as Frontline flea and Advantage flea killers have nearly immediate results and long lasting protection. If you have this treatment available, your animal shouldn't suffer from flea discomfort. You just need to pick a good flea medicine for your pet's current situation.

Mites, or ticks as they are often called, are external parasites living off the blood of mammals, reptiles and birds. The American dog tick is arguably the best known of the five in North America.

As far as disease transmission to humans goes, ticks come in at a frightening second place to mosquitoes. Everyone knows that Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness, but ticks also spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever, equine encephalitis, and ehrlichiosis. They also transmit diseases found in pets and livestock.

Another type of mite living in the Rocky Mountains is the wood tick. Tick treatments for dogs include tick collars and flea & tick shampoos. In order for tick control to be effective during tick season, ticks should be checked for and removed completely if found. Part of the tick may be left in the wound, if you are not careful, thus increasing the likelihood of infection.

Unlike diseases passed by ticks, heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes, and the larva then live in the bloodstream of the animal bitten by the mosquito. The parasites go through several stages before becoming adults. Once adult, the heart worms travel to the heart to live off the blood supply. Symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing may ensure, and the end result is heart failure.

No owner would like to see their pet die of this terrible parasitic disease, fortunately treatment is available if the disease is caught early enough. Interceptor for dogs is one such treatment, which also tackles hookworms and ascarid infections.

Another common infection that your dog may experience is kennel cough. This is a very contagious strain of bronchitis that often spreads in places like kennels, where dogs are near many other dogs. Fortunately, kennel cough can be treated with antibiotics and prevented altogether by a timely vaccination for canine adenovirus, distemper, parainfluenza, and bordetella.