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Flea, Tick, and Mosquito Prevention

Here in Roswell, Georgia, one of the most basic and easy things we can do for our fur babies is to protect them from fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. These insects love to suck blood from the safety of our pets fur, and they can cause serious problems within a matter of days of infestation. While treatment is possible, the best defense and most cost-worthy option is to prevent complications before they even have a chance to occur.

Besides anemia from blood loss and allergic reactions that may flare up from the bites, there are diseases that can be transmitted from fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. For instance, the deer tick can carry Lyme disease, which can cause depression, loss of appetite, painful joints, and even kidney failure. Mosquitoes can also transmit heartworms from one animal to another, which begins with a mild cough, fatigue, and weight loss, before developing into a blockage within the heart and cardiovascular collapse.

Living in Georgia means that these bugs don’t get much downtime. Our winters are short and our climate can be muggy and humid. Because of this, these insects are a threat year round, and we need to protect our dogs and cats from the risks associated with them.

Why HeartGard and NexGard?

Prevention is the best and only way to keep your pets healthy throughout the entire year. Most flea and tick preventatives are given in monthly supplies, and the best of these are HeartGard and NexGard, which prevent heartworms and kill fleas and tick, respectively. Both of these are given from your vet in beef-flavored chewables, which are not only much more effective than a collar or topical treatments, but are much easier to get your dog excited to take. Whenever the first of the month rolls around, I always ask my pup if she wants a treat, and sometimes even make her ‘sit’ for the preventative. This helps her to take the HeartGard and NexGard willingly.

In addition, an edible preventative works more effectively for dogs that have thick fur or are not willing to sit still for a squeezable across their back. Both preventatives can be bought in single, 6 month, or 12 month supplies, making them easy to purchase once and stick in the cabinet for the entire year. The HeartGard package also comes with a pack of stickers and a calendar so you can make sure to never miss a dosage.

HeartGard and NexGard can be purchased from Chattahoochee Animal Clinic on Alpharetta Street. They are easy to tack on to an annual or semi-annual visit with Dr. Marcus Smith or Dr. Dianne Dawkins, or you can simply call and get an order filled to be picked up at your convenience. 

Let’s work together to make this summer, and fall, and winter, and following spring, the safest and most fun we can for our fur pets.