What To Do During Flea and Tick Season to Keep Pets Protected and Toxi
Warmer weather seems to bring out the best in everyone—more people take their pets on longer walks and participate in more outdoor activities and happy pets across the country enjoy all the perks of prettier weather.
But there’s a downside to the warmer temperatures and outdoor activities: fleas and ticks. While your dog is not totally in the clear even in the winter, the odds of a flea infestation or tick bite goes down significantly in colder weather. Spring and summer bring out the worst in fleas and ticks, and it’s vital to protect your pets from them. More, it’s important to do so without chemicals and toxins that can be just as bad for them.
In 2018, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nearly 60,000 cases of tick-borne disease in humans were reported to them. These include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Alpha-Gal Allergy reactions.
And, according to the CDC, a new tick species has been identified for the first time in the United States—Haemaphsalis longicornis (the Asian longhorned tick). While there’s no germ spreading from the tick reported as of yet, research continues.
Ticks are dangers for dogs for several reasons. Because they like to run through woods, grasses, thickets and forests, they tend to easily pick ticks up in their fur and hair and carry them around. This is a problem because it makes dogs susceptible to the disease many ticks carry. These diseases include Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, tularemia, Babesia, anaplasmosis and Ehrlichia. Our furry friends can also bring those infected ticks into our homes and subject us to being bitten and infected by the tick as well.
Fleas are another nasty bunch of little critters that enjoy warmer weather as well. Though they can be a problem during the cold because they continue their life cycles inside where it’s warm, they prefer their fun in the sun. They’re an external parasite found on dogs and cats and frankly, they’re a literal pain in your pet’s butt (and other places).
Flea infestations will make your pet scratch and chew their poor bodies until they’re raw. They can lose hair and skin coating, and flea bites can even cause skin allergies in dogs. And their bites don’t just itch and aggravate; they can transmit parasites like tapeworms. Tapeworms can make your dog extremely uncomfortable and lose weight. Additionally, fleas can feast so much on your pet’s blood that they’ll suffer from anemia.
When it comes to protecting your pet from fleas and ticks, prevention is critical. Yes, there are vaccinations for several of the diseases that ticks can bring about, and even chemical and pharmaceutical preventatives that promise to keep the fleas and ticks away.
The issue is that our pets are family and we don’t want to expose our family members to any more chemicals or toxins than we have to.
Many people don’t pay too much attention to the ingredients in pet products, but just as the skin is a human’s largest organ, so it is in your dog. Exposing them to toxic chemicals and ingredients is just as bad for them as it is for you.
It’s not uncommon at all for manufacturers to put products that are linked to allergic reactions, hypertension, neurological dysfunction and even cancers. Parabens are inexpensive and often used in human and pet products as preservatives, but have been linked to cancer, while added synthetic dyes and fragrances like D&C Blue No. 4 and D&C Yellow No. 8 are often made from coal tar, a known carcinogen as well.
When you’re looking for a safe but effective flea and tick preventative, you want to be sure to read labels and count ingredients. Experts also believe a combination of a natural and effective flea and tick shampoo combined with a spray when going out offers pets superior, safe and effective protection against flea and tick bites.
EQyss Flea-Bite Shampoo has been proven to kill and repel fleas and ticks and the blend of cedarwood, peppermint, rosemary and lemongrass essential oils is a popular combination recipe of effective and natural human repellants as well. It’s a soothing formula for skin and coat, pH-balanced to prevent damage, and offers long-lasting protection from fleas and ticks.
Even better, when used in combination with EQyss Flea Bite Flea & Tick Spray when going outside to walk, hike, hit the dog park or beach, your pet’s protection is top notch. You simply spray it on your dog’s coat as you would yourself to protect from the same bugs and insects and enjoy the activities, critter free and without the worry of irritation or disease.
And it’s entirely safe for your pet, your family and the environment. So, bring on the warmer weather! You and your dog will be prepared.
More by Lori Ennis