Spring is Coming!
And with the warmer weather come those nasty ticks! Ticks do not hibernate, they simply stop moving when they become too cold, at about 4°C. Once it warms up to this temperature, they start moving again, and they are hungry after a winter of not eating! Even in our chilly winters, by April we can start to see ticks up and about, rapidly starting another cycle of disease transmission.
With this warmer weather just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about those tick preventatives. 
When to start Tick Prevention: April 1st. And on the first of the month thereafter.
When to stop: Nov. 1st is the date the last dose should be given.
What to use: Typically, a monthly chew is a way to go, but if this isn’t for you, we’d be happy to talk about a topical preventative.
What to do at the start of the Season: A 4DX SNAP test! This is a quick and easy blood test we do in the clinic ($67.95+tax) to check for 4 different diseases to make sure that nothing snuck in over the previous season. It tests for Heartworm Disease, Lyme Disease, Ehrlichia and Anaplamsa. If your pet is positive for any of these diseases, then we will come up with a treatment plan specific to you and your pet.
Why to use prevention: Ticks are incredibly effective at transmitting diseases, such as Lyme Disease and Ehrlichia, a pair of nasty diseases that ticks can also transmit to people. Because these diseases can be hard to treat, it is really important to try to prevent them. More on this below!
BUT: Don’t worry about keeping track of all those details, we’ll be reaching out to each of our clients who have a doggy to help schedule what to do and when.
The Great TICK RACE!
Be the first person to bring a live tick into the clinic this spring and win an IHOP Gift Card!
Incredible Cats!
How cute is Gary?
Cats are one of the toughest animal species we treat! So, while you might think we’ve been ignoring our Felines, it is not so.
Cats and Ticks: Since cats are typically really good at grooming themselves, and since they don’t usually frequent places that ticks like (such as woods, leaf litter and tall grass), they are not at particularly high risk for tick bites. But if you have a cat that does go to these types of places, then a tick preventative should be considered.
Cats and Heartworm: Since heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes, and most of our cats are indoors, they are already at lower risk than our dogs. In addition, cats are harder to infect with Heartworm than dogs. So if your cat is indoors, then a heartworm preventative is not essential. But if your feline friend enjoys the great outdoors, then a heartworm preventative would be a good plan.
There are a few different options for tick and heartworm preventatives in cats that we would be happy to discuss with you so we can find exactly the right one for your situation.
Trivia Corner!
Congratulations to our February newsletter prize winners! We hope Bella’s owners and Cooper’s owners enjoy their treats to IHop and Jugo Juice!
