Pet Pests!

Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Fleas.... Oh My!

Save your pet from pests!
Make sure you give them their flea and tick preventative on time!

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are widely distributed in the United States and can be a year-round concern in the southern states where temperatures and humidity can remain high over many months. Worldwide they are the most common vector of disease, spreading viruses, protozoa and helminths to people and animals. Not only do mosquitoes spread disease such as West Nile Virus, they are annoying pests. Only the female mosquito feeds on blood. Within hours of taking a blood meal she will lay eggs, as many as 300 at a time. When the female feeds, she first pokes a tiny hole in the skin and then inserts two tubes into the hole. While saliva flows down one tube, blood flows up the other. The saliva contains an anticoagulant so that feeding can continue without the blood clotting. The saliva that is left behind is what causes the skin to itch after the mosquito has fed. Like fleas and ticks, the saliva carries the disease organisms that can be transmitted to their hosts.

There are more than 200 different species of mosquitoes in the U.S. and they have a big thirst for dogs.

Biting mosquitoes are as irritating to your dog as they are to you.
Stress from biting can be severe with large populations of mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are the carrier of West Nile Virus. Their bites can also cause skin irritation and allergic reactions in some dogs.

Fleas

Fleas afflict dogs around the world and may be found on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Fleas not only annoy dogs and people, they can carry disease and cause other health problems. Adult fleas have well-developed mouthparts that are able to pierce thick skin and suck blood from their host. The saliva the flea secretes while biting can contain antigens and disease organisms that cause many medical problems. Fleas carry the dog tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum); cause the most common allergic skin condition in dogs, called "flea allergy dermatitis;" and may be vectors of infectious agents. Biting fleas can also cause secondary skin infection and anemia in puppies, older dogs and immuno-suppressed canines.

The problems of biting fleas --

Skin problems: Flea bites cause flea allergy dermatitis, the most common skin allergy in dogs. They can also cause skin infection.

Internal parasites: Fleas transmit tapeworms, one of the most common internal parasites seen by pet owners.

Anemia: Puppies, older and sick dogs infested with fleas can become anemic. Heavy infestations can even cause death.

Ticks

Ticks are a common parasite of both dogs and people. Tick species are found worldwide and may infest dogs in very large numbers, especially during certain times of the year. Ticks as well as fleas and mosquitoes act as vectors of disease. Three stages of the tick (larvae, nymph and adult) parasitize animals and humans. When a tick feeds, it cuts an opening in the skin of the host with the teeth on its chelicera and then pushes its hypostome (feeding tube) into the hole. At the same time, the tick secretes a "cement-like" substance in and around the opening. The barbs on the hypostome and the cement anchor the tick to the skin. While feeding, ticks inject saliva-containing anticoagulant into the blood. The saliva may also contain disease organisms. Ticks may carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, several types of ehrlichiosis, and other potentially deadly diseases. Prevalence of these diseases may be quite high in certain regions, making tick control a definite medical concern for veterinarians and dog owners.

Tick-borne Diseases: Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, tularemia

Risk for biting ticks is increased if:

Tick-borne diseases have been diagnosed in your region.
You take your dog camping, hiking or hunting where ticks are found.
You have removed a tick from your dog in the last few months.
Your dog is exposed to wildlife that are tick hosts (deer, rodents, raccoons, etc.).
Your yard has dense shrubs, tall grass or leaf litter – common tick habitats.
You take your dog to wooded areas or grassy meadows.

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