SHRF uses and recommends Frontline Plus for treating our dogs for fleas and ticks.
We use it on all of our foster dogs and expect adopters to continue the use of it or some other Veterinarian recommended flea and tick treatment after adoption.
The state of Florida, having a sub-tropical climate, is a
year round breeding ground for fleas, ticks and mites. The following is an
excerpt from a February 2004 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
paper titled:
What you should know about
external parasites.
At some point in their lives, many pets experience
discomfort caused by external parasites such as fleas, ticks, or mites on their
skin or in their ears. These parasites can be extremely irritating to pets and
can cause serious skin problems or even carry disease. Although this brochure
provides basic information about the most common external parasites, your
veterinarian is your best source of advice regarding your pet's needs. Modern
medicines make treatment, control, and prevention of many external parasites
much easier than in the past.
Fleas
Flea Basics
Fleas thrive when the weather is warm and humid. Depending
on your climate, fleas may be a seasonal or year-round problem. Your pet can
pick up fleas wherever an infestation exists, often in areas frequented by
other cats and dogs. Adult fleas are dark brown, no bigger than a sesame seed,
and able to move rapidly over your pet's skin.
Adult fleas live their entire lives on your pet. Female
fleas begin laying eggs within 24 hours of selecting your pet as a host,
producing up to 50 eggs each day. These eggs fall from your pet onto the floor
or furniture, including your pet's bed, or onto any other indoor or outdoor
area where your pet happens to be. Tiny worm-like larvae hatch from the eggs
and, to avoid sunlight, burrow into carpets, under furniture, or into soil
before spinning a cocoon. The cocooned flea pupae can lie dormant for weeks
before emerging as adults, ready to infest your pet. This gives fleas a life
cycle of anywhere from 12 days to 6 months. Knowing where fleas develop helps
you to efficiently break their life cycle.
Risks and Consequences
You might not even know that your pet has fleas until their
number increases to the point that your pet is visibly uncomfortable. Signs of
flea problems range from mild irritation to severe itching that can lead to
open sores and skin infection. One of the first things you might notice on a
pet with fleas is "flea dirt," the black flea droppings left on your
pet's coat.
Some pets develop an allergy to flea saliva and this
condition requires management. Also, pets can become infected with tapeworms if
they ingest fleas carrying tapeworm eggs*. Young or small pets with heavy flea
infestations may become anemic, and in areas with moderate to severe flea
infestations, people may experience flea bites. Fleas are capable of
transmitting a few other infectious diseases to pets and people, but this is
rare.
According to the Veterinary web site
Marvistanet:
It takes 3 weeks from the time the flea is swallowed to the time tapeworm segments appear on the pet’s rear end or in its stool." So even though the fleas may have been cleared up the tapeworm could still be active.
Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will recommend an appropriate flea control
plan for your pet based on your particular needs and the severity of the flea
infestation.
In addition to treating your pet, you can reduce the flea
population in your house by thoroughly cleaning your pet's sleeping quarters
and vacuuming floors and any furniture that your pet frequents. Careful and
regular vacuuming or cleaning of the pet's living area helps to remove and kill
flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. Pay particular attention to carpeted areas and
rugs where your pet lies.
With moderate and severe flea infestations, treatment of
your yard may be necessary in addition to treatment of your home. Your
veterinarian can recommend an appropriate course of action.
Finally, speak with your veterinarian about ways to prevent
future flea infestations.
Ticks
Tick Basics
Hosting a tick is the price dogs or, less commonly, cats may
pay for investigating shrubbery, brush, or wild undergrowth. Ticks have a
four-stage life cycle, and immature ticks often feed on small, wild animals
found in forests, prairies, and brush. Adult ticks seek larger hosts like dogs
and cats who venture into these habitats. Tick exposure may be seasonal,
depending on geographic location.
Risks and Consequences
Ticks are most often found around your dog's neck, in the
ears, in the folds between the legs and the body, and between the toes. Cats
may have ticks on their neck or face. Tick bites can cause skin irritation.
Ticks are also capable of spreading serious infectious diseases to the pets and
people on which they feed. Disease risk varies by geographic area and tick
species. Heavy infestations can cause anemia in pets.
Treatment and Control
Prompt removal of ticks is very important because it lessens
the chance of disease transmission from the tick to your pet. Remove ticks by
carefully using tweezers to firmly grip the tick as close to the pet's skin as
possible and gently pulling the tick free. After removing the tick, crush it,
avoiding contact with tick fluids that can carry disease.
Pets that are at risk for ticks should be treated during the
tick season with an appropriate tick preventative. Your veterinarian can
recommend a product that best suits your pet's needs. Owners who take their
pets to tick-prone areas during camping, sporting, or hiking trips should
examine their pets for ticks immediately on returning home and remove any ticks
from their pets. If your pet picks up ticks in the backyard, trimming brush may
reduce your pet's exposure to tick habitats.
Ear Mites
Ear Mite Basics
Ear mites are common in young cats and dogs, and generally
confine themselves to the ears and surrounding area. Mites are tiny and
individual mites may be seen only with the aid of a microscope. Your pet can
pick up ear mites by close contact with an infested pet or its bedding.
Risks and Consequences
Ear mites can cause intense irritation of the ear canal.
Signs of ear mite infestation include excessive head shaking and scratching of
the ears. Your pet may scratch to the point that it creates bleeding sores
around its ears. A brown or black ear discharge is common.
Treatment and Control
Treatment of ear mites involves thorough ear cleaning and
medication. Your veterinarian can recommend an effective treatment plan.
Sarcoptic Mange Mites
Sarcoptic Mange Mite Basics
Microscopic sarcoptic mange mites cause sarcoptic mange,
also known as scabies. Sarcoptic mange mites affect dogs of all ages, during
any time of the year. Sarcoptic mange mites are highly contagious to other dogs
and may be passed by close contact with infested animals, bedding, or grooming
tools.
Risks and Consequences
Sarcoptic mange mites burrow through the top layer of the
dog's skin and cause intense itching. Clinical signs include generalized hair
loss, a skin rash, and crusting. Skin infections may develop secondary to the
intense irritation. People who come in close contact with an affected dog may
develop a rash and should see their physician.
Treatment and Control
Dogs with sarcoptic mange require medication to kill the
mites and additional treatment to soothe the skin and resolve related
infections. Cleaning and treatment of the dog's environment can be beneficial.
Demodectic Mange Mites
Demodectic Mange Mite Basics
Demodectic mange caused by demodectic mange mites is mainly
a problem in dogs. Demodectic mange mites are microscopic, cigar-shaped, and
not highly contagious. However, a dam may pass the mites to her puppies.
Risks and Consequences
Localized demodectic mange tends to appear in young dogs as
patches of scaliness and redness around the eyes and mouth and, perhaps, the
legs and trunk. Unlike other types of mange, demodectic mange may signal an
underlying medical condition, and your pet's overall health should be carefully
evaluated. Less commonly, young and old dogs experience a generalized form of
demodectic mange and can exhibit widespread patches of redness, hair loss, and
scaliness.
Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you.
Treatment of dogs with localized demodectic mange generally results in
favorable outcome. Generalized demodectic mange, however, may be difficult to
treat, and treatment may only control the condition, rather than cure it.
Important points on external
parasites.
Look for fleas, ticks, and coat abnormalities any time you
groom your dog or cat.
See your veterinarian if your pet excessively scratches,
chews, or licks its haircoat, or persistently shakes its head. These clinical
signs may indicate the presence of external parasites or other conditions
requiring medical care.
Prompt treatment of parasites lessens your pet's discomfort,
decreases the chances of disease transmission from parasite to pet, and may
reduce the degree of home infestation.
Discuss the health of all family pets with your
veterinarian when one pet becomes infested. Some parasites cycle among pets,
making control of infestations difficult unless other pets are considered.
Consult your veterinarian before beginning treatment.
Tell your veterinarian if you have attempted any parasite
remedies, as this may impact your veterinarian's recommendation.
Be especially careful when applying insecticides to cats, as
cats are particularly sensitive to these products. Never use a
product that is not approved for cats, as the results could be lethal.
Follow label directions carefully.
Leave treatment to the experts. Your veterinarian offers
technical expertise and can assist you in identifying products that are most
likely to effectively and safely control your pet's parasite problem.
