My City Wellness Spring 2021

the black “flea dirt” we see on our pets when they have fleas). Eventually, just like a butterfly, the larvae spin a cocoon and become tiny, encrusted, impossible-to-kill packets incubating an adult flea. When this process is complete, vibration and the carbon dioxide emanating from our pets’ bodies stimulate the baby flea to emerge from the cocoon and immediately take up residence in the animal’s protective fur and skin. This life cycle breakdown explains some of the com mon misconceptions and myths surrounding fleas: Adult fleas do not live separated from their host for any length of time. Once on the animal, unless forced off with a flea comb or a paw-scratch, the tenacious flea stays put. The wonderful news is that these days, we have great products to combat and basically eliminate fleas from our pets and our lives. These products are not your grandfather’s toxic flea powder or collars. No longer do we need to fill our homes with horrible fog gers and sprays. Now, safe and super-effective once-a month or every-three-month oral products are avail able to prevent and/or eliminate fleas. At Briarwood Veterinary Hospital, we recommend year-round flea and tick protection because the products we have are so safe for our pets and for us, so effective, and because we are seeing fleas and ticks even in cold weather. Flea and tick prevention is crucial, not just because of the annoyance but also because fleas can carry some nasty diseases, including cat scratch fever. Ticks, of course, carry (among others) Lyme disease. Ticks are a multi-host parasite and there are many species in our area right now.The main feature of the dog/cat tick interface is that ticks tend to be in leafy, wooded areas (although we’ve seen them come from basic, suburban lawns) and are silent assassins. When ticks at tach to feed, they

tiny and then as they feed, engorge to a gross, bloated, egg-filled, three millimeter diameter size. Once found, a

tick should be removed by a veterinar

ian with a “tick key.”We do not recommend removing a tick with your fingers, not

because it will leave its head behind, they don’t (ticks like their heads), but because if a tick is full of Lyme disease bacteria, you could be exposed. If you do find and remove, or have a vet remove a tick from your dog, we recommend testing for Lyme disease with a simple, in-clinic test done six weeks post-exposure. At Briarwood, we recommend testing every dog every year for Lyme disease as part of our routine yearly screen for heartworm disease. But again, it is so much better to prevent. And again, our new products to prevent ticks, and therefore Lyme disease, are very safe and effective.There is just no reason in the year 2021 that any pet or household should suffer an infestation of ticks or fleas or the diseases they carry. So, if you have a four-legged fur child or two, or three, or more at home and you want to keep the home and those cherished pets free of fleas and ticks, contact your local flea and tick control expert: your veterinarian. The landscape for parasite prevention has never been safer or more effective than the present. Your pets will thank you! x

Di ma Anikin / stock.adobe.com ThamKC / stock.adobe.com

inject a local an esthetic that cuts any itch a pet might feel. So, ticks are found by inspection, close inspection. They start off

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Joe attended University of California – Irvine and University of California – Davis prior to entering UC Davis’ School of Vet erinary Medicine. After graduating from Veterinary School in 1982, Dr. Joe moved

to Owosso, MI with his wife, Susan (also an animal prac titioner), where he worked in a mixed animal practice for seven years. In 1990, Dr. Joe and Dr. Sue opened Briarwood Veterinary Hospital in Grand Blanc.

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