More than 65 million families in America share their homes with dogs, and nearly 47 million cats allow humans to live with them. On top of that, quite a few households include pigs, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and other furry friends. All those families get endless joy and love from their pets, but they also have something else in common. Bringing a pet into your home brings the risk of certain pests, like fleas and ticks.
The Problems With Pests
Those pests can certainly cause your pet a great deal of misery, but their dangers run a bit deeper than that. They can also cause a range of serious health issues. At the same time, those pests don’t usually stay on the pets. Once they come indoors, they can multiply and take over your home, leading to the need for Residential Pest Control. Taking measures to keep pests at bay and spotting them early on if they do invade is the key to keeping your pet and your family safe.
Looking for Warning Signs of Fleas and Other Pests
Spotting pest infestations on your pets may not be easy. After all, your pet can’t directly tell you there’s a problem. Still, certain warning signs can be indications that your pet is experiencing the type of distress that comes from fleas, mites, and other pests. One of the most surefire signs is excessive scratching and biting. Those pests cause itching and burning, so your pet is likely to scratch, lick, and gnaw at its skin to try to ease the discomfort.
Red or bumpy skin is also a warning sign of an infestation. Bites from parasites can cause redness, inflammation, and even sores on your pet. Licking, biting, and scratching tend to make those problems worse. Patchy hair loss may become an issue as well. Routinely check your pet for skin irritation and hair loss even if the other signs of infestations aren’t present.
You can also spot fleas and ticks themselves, which is another reason routinely checking your pet’s fur is important. Fleas are tiny, reddish-brown or black insects that can move quickly. They may appear to be bouncing around if they’re on your pet. They like to congregate around the neck, back, tail, and insides of the legs. You may even see them around your pet’s eyes. Ticks are larger than fleas, but they typically come in smaller numbers, so they’re more difficult to spot.
Mites, on the other hand, are too small for you to see them. If your pet has skin irritation but no fleas or ticks seem to be present, consider taking it to the vet. Your vet will take a skin scraping and examine it under a microscope to check for mites.
Preventing Pet Pest Infestations
Prevention, as they say, is the best medicine. Regular vet check-ups are an important part of the pest prevention process. A veterinarian can catch signs of pests early on before they have a chance to get out of hand. Regular grooming is also essential. It’ll keep dirt and dead skin cells at bay, and it may give you a better chance of spotting pests in the early stages of an infestation.
Beyond those measures, topical and oral treatments can help keep pests at bay. Topicals are applied directly to your pet’s skin. They provide relatively long-lasting protection against parasites. Flea collars can help as well, but be sure to change them out per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Keep in mind, they don’t protect against all parasites. Oral medications are also available to help ward off fleas and other pests.
