It’s finally getting cooler in Northern Ontario, but that doesn’t mean we can skip giving our pets their monthly parasite preventive. In fact, with the cooler temperatures, monthly parasite prevention is more important than ever!
As the weather cools, fleas will tend to stay on pets longer for warmth – increasing the possibility of your pet bringing those pesky critters into your home where they can lay thousands of eggs. Presto! Before you know it, you can have a major flea infestation on your hands. All pets in the house (even indoor only cats) should be on a monthly flea preventive until we have had a good ‘killing frost’ or two.
Heartworm preventives work by killing the larvae your pet may have been infected with during the previous month. Therefore, heartworm preventives should be continued for at least on month after the last mosquitos are seen.
It is also very important to remain vigilant about ticks who are active above 4 degrees Celsius and often undergo spring and fall ‘blooms’ where there are significantly increased numbers. Tick preventive products should be continued throughout the fall and pets should be checked regularly. Since it usually takes at least several hours for feeding ticks to be able to transmit disease, ticks should be removed ASAP. The sooner they are removed, the less likely they will transmit a serious disease such as Lyme Disease to your pet.
Most of our parasite preventive products are sold in a six-month supply. In Northern Ontario, this generally translates to starting the products mid to late spring and giving monthly until the entire package is finished. If you and your pets are lucky enough to be travelling to warmer climates over the winter months, your pet may need year-round parasite prevention.
Please feel free to give us a call at 705-759-8888 if you have any questions or concerns about parasite prevention for your pet