Here in the Northeast we didn’t have much of a winter, and we are now feeling repercussions with ticks and fleas. Some experts say it is the worst season ever.
Ticks and fleas are of serious concern for our pets, but we often forget that they also pose a risk to humans. Ticks on pets can easily crawl off and onto you, your children and other family members. Ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis and others. These diseases can be devastating to humans and even life-threatening. Cats are less prone to tick diseases than dogs, but they do exist, and unfortunately there are only a few preventatives available for use on cats. It is extremely important to consult your veterinarian for options, as some products are very toxic to cats.
Make sure to be vigilant in checking your pet (and yourself!) for ticks. To remove a tick, experts recommend wearing gloves. Using tweezers, grasp the tick by the mouthpart (the part that is attached to the skin) and pull. Sometimes the head of the tick can stay embedded in the skin. To dispose of the tick, do not throw it back outside! Put the tick in a small jar of rubbing alcohol. Do not crush ticks. By doing so, you can expose yourself to tick-transmitted diseases.
Flea numbers are up this season. The most common place to find fleas on your pet is near the base of the tail. Sometimes you can see them crawling on your pet’s belly, too. You may not see any fleas, but if you see specks that look like black pepper, that is flea dirt (flea poop)--evidence that fleas have been there! Fleas commonly transmit tapeworms in animals but can also transmit more serious diseases, such as the plague, to both pets and humans. The plague was recently diagnosed in a cat and a human in the Midwest. Additionally, fleas often cause itching and irritation to the pet’s skin. If your pet has fleas, first consult your veterinarian. He or she can help you develop a comprehensive eradication plan. Be patient. It can take up to six months to eliminate a flea infestation in your home, so prevention is key! I recommend year-round monthly flea and tick protection.
Remember that your veterinarian deals with these problems on a daily basis, and he or she is the best source for information about tick and flea control. So give your vet a call and protect your pets, your family and yourself from these pesky critters!
Dr. Sarah Alward is the veterinarian at the in Wainscott.
The very unfortunate reality is that tick diseases cause SIGNIFICANT morbidity and even mortality. There was a case in our area of a person who died from Lyme as a result of avoiding Western medicine in favor of alternative treatments. Not only do the diseases cause significant malady, the immune reaction is often much worse. I have a friend who survived encephalitis and meningitis from Lyme, and now has such severe immune-mediated arthritis that she needs double-knee replacement surgery. Unfortunately she has to have chemotherapy to shut down the immune response before the surgeons will touch her. There is no researcher on the planet that knows everything these horrible diseases can do to people and animals.
I wouldn't want my own dogs to go through this in a million years. I wouldn't wish this on any pet or pet owner. Nor would I wish tick disease on any person I love. I put Advantix and Preventic collars on my dogs RELIGIOUSLY. As I said before, there is ZERO scientific evidence that spot-on treatments have long-term toxicity. For those who chose diatomaceous earth and essential oils (which can be extremely toxic to pets) - please understand that you are risking your pet's health and your own.
You love your pets you want to protect them from ticks and fleas, tested and approved http://www.petprotector.org/?ID=13450
I can totally understand your observational perspective. The average vet has basically malnourished, underexercised pets who live in highly toxic homes dumped on them daily and is expected to work miracles for pennies on the dollar and there is great pressure just like medical doctors to just prescribe a drug which is hard not to do considering the acute progression of the illnesses you are treating. Your licensing body expects you to treat according to accepted protocols or it might threaten the status of your practice. You are in the middle of a perfect storm of sick pets, negligent pet owners and licensing bodies so I truly empathize with your position as a practitioner and that you must use the strategies that get as much immediate palliative benefit as possible. I am not in the position. I intentionally did not become a medical doctor for that reason. I am a nutritional biochemist with 3 decades of experience in the area of toxicology and immunology. In fact I pioneered the first metabolic protocols for medical doctors who specialize in the area of immune challenges aggravated by both microbiological infiltration and environmental toxicological interference. Your dog who has concurrent Ehrlichia has a multitude of systemic and target organ challenges which will be never cured by a cocktail of antibiotics and immunosuppressive drugs. Each one has its own contribution to decreased metabolic and nutritional status which I will go into more detail next.