How to Protect Your Fur Baby from Ticks and Mosquitoes

Our cats and dogs are like our children. They greet us when we come home from a long day and make the whole stress-filled world disappear. They love us unconditionally, and in return we pamper them, spoil them, and spare no expense in making sure they are healthy and happy. While you most likely are using medical intervention to prevent heartworm, spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, in your dog, are you aware of the other dangerous illnesses your pets can get from bug bites?

Tick-Borne Diseases and Your Dog

Ticks are commonly found on dogs as they nose around in the underbrush where ticks like to hang out. It is gross to have to remove them, and scary to think they are in your home and could come looking to bite you. But more importantly, ticks carry dangerous diseases, and your dog could be infected. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, and Ehrlichiosis. Canine forms of the tick-borne disease are a bit different; some can even be deadly. There have even been reports of canine tick paralysis, which is purely from the bite of any tick, although rare, can cause your pet’s organs to completely shut down if you don’t find the tick and remove it immediately. Contact your Vet right away if you suspect a tick bite infected your dog and be sure to follow their advice for topical tick control.

Tick-borne Diseases that Can Affect Cats

If you have an outdoor cat, ticks can be an issue for them too. You can use topical treatment for protection and should follow your veterinarian’s advice. Cats can become ill from a parasite called Cytauxzoonosis, Tularemia, Haemobartonellosis, Babesiosis, and Ehrlichiosis from the bite of an infected tick. With dangerous disease transmission, helping your cat avoid tick bites is as important as protecting your dog.

Mosquito-Borne Diseases and Your Dog

Heartworm is the primary concern for your dog when it comes to mosquito bites. While we encourage you to use the medical intervention recommended by your doctor for heart worm prevention, we know that is not always possible. In that case, it is best if you can have your yard treated with mosquito barrier treatment all season long to lower your dog’s risk for a mosquito bite.

Cats and Heartworm from Mosquito Bites

Did you know cats can get heartworm too? It is true. While it is rare for a cat to have heartworm and even rarer for it to result in heartworm disease if it does it can be fatal. According to the American Heartworm Association, cats can get a heartworm-associated respiratory disease, to which there is no cure. Prevention is the best medicine for heartworms in cats.

Whether you treat your pets with the recommended heartworm prevention and tick control provided by your veterinarian or issues such as sensitive skin prevent this treatment, your pets could use the extra protection from tick control and mosquito control in Louisville. Our barrier treatment eliminates up to 90% of adult ticks and mosquitoes from your yard. Call Mosquito Squad of Louisville today to learn more about backyard tick and mosquito protection for your pets.