With Spring weather, comes ticks and other insects that can be harmful to your pet. Fleas and ticks are the most common pests that you should keep an eye out for. They tend to hide in tall grass, shrubs, and fall out of trees and then attach themselves to animals to feed. Animals who spend time outside are the most susceptible to these insects.
To protect your pet, I would absolutely recommend treating your cats and dogs with flea and tick protection at the minimum from spring until fall. For those pet owners who live in a climate that tends to be warmer year round, you may choose to treat your pets with flea and tick protection all year.
There are different types of flea and tick protection available, including liquid medication you apply, flea and tick collars, and sprays. For my dogs, I like to use Frontline flea and tick protection. It is available for both dogs and cats and comes packaged in tubes for individualized *treatments (I recommend speaking to your vet about how often you should apply Frontline to your pet). Frontline is sold according to the pet's weight and you can easily see on the packaging and description which application is right for your size pet. I find it easy to use and my dogs barely even notice when I apply it.
After coming back from walks or after my dogs have been playing outside, I normally check them for ticks as soon as they come in the door. I usually just run my hand over their coat to check to see if I feel any bumps that shouldn't be there. With dogs that have less fur, it's easier to see just by taking a look at their coat. But dont worry if a tick or flea finds their way onto your pet. There are shampoos, sprays, dip treatments and home products to rid of these pests. I would recommend using these products as directed on the packaging as the treatment itself may vary.
