Friday, December 16, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tick Prevention
Here in Florida we have just seen the first real cold front come in, and dragged out our winter woolies thinking how cold it is. Of course, along with the realization that actually, compared to most states we are merely a little cooler, pet lovers need to realize that we are in peak tick season.
There are a number of reasons for this:
1. If you live by a state park and have wildlife such as deer or turkeys straying into your property, you need to realize they are the biggest carrier of ticks, particularly turkeys. As the weather cools, they are more likely to venture further out of the park and into your garden to find food. At the same time, you are less likely to be using your lawn service for pesticide control.
2. With cooler days, we tend in Florida to set about gardening much more enthusiastically, and a very common talk is to redo all the mulch beds. This much is then placed close to the walls of the house and if not from a pre-bagged reputable source can be a major hidey hole for ticks, which then look to your nice cozy house for shelter.
3. Christmas Trees! Yes, that beautiful spruce you got that came freshly delivered from the Carolina's will very often bring some hitchhikers with them, including the possibility of ticks carrying diseases.
Please ensure your pets are protected against ticks. We nearly lost a young, male 4 year old dog from tick borne bacteria that caused his spleen to swell and as the parasite borne by the tick invaded his system his blood platelet dropped to such a point, he needed a life-saving transfusion.
A lot of pet owners are unaware that some of the preventatives sold may only control fleas not ticks, so please ask one of our staff what is the best for your circumstance.
In addition, keep a fine toothed comb by the door or a close bristled brush the pet as soon as they come in from a walk or playtime outside. This simple action can stop the ticks attaching. It is also the reason that we seldom see cats with ticks....they constantly groom themselves.
Don't forget, you are not just protecting your dogs from ticks, but your family too.
There are a number of reasons for this:
1. If you live by a state park and have wildlife such as deer or turkeys straying into your property, you need to realize they are the biggest carrier of ticks, particularly turkeys. As the weather cools, they are more likely to venture further out of the park and into your garden to find food. At the same time, you are less likely to be using your lawn service for pesticide control.
2. With cooler days, we tend in Florida to set about gardening much more enthusiastically, and a very common talk is to redo all the mulch beds. This much is then placed close to the walls of the house and if not from a pre-bagged reputable source can be a major hidey hole for ticks, which then look to your nice cozy house for shelter.
3. Christmas Trees! Yes, that beautiful spruce you got that came freshly delivered from the Carolina's will very often bring some hitchhikers with them, including the possibility of ticks carrying diseases.
Please ensure your pets are protected against ticks. We nearly lost a young, male 4 year old dog from tick borne bacteria that caused his spleen to swell and as the parasite borne by the tick invaded his system his blood platelet dropped to such a point, he needed a life-saving transfusion.
A lot of pet owners are unaware that some of the preventatives sold may only control fleas not ticks, so please ask one of our staff what is the best for your circumstance.
In addition, keep a fine toothed comb by the door or a close bristled brush the pet as soon as they come in from a walk or playtime outside. This simple action can stop the ticks attaching. It is also the reason that we seldom see cats with ticks....they constantly groom themselves.
Don't forget, you are not just protecting your dogs from ticks, but your family too.
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