PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Summer is around the corner, and you know what that means: bugs.
Dr. Bill Lewis of Lincoln Highway Vet Clinic sat down with FOX43's Jackie De Tore to discuss how to best care for your pets during pest season.
He said the first step is to determine for sure if your pet has fleas or ticks. He said that looking behind the ears and on the head of your pet is crucial, as that is where they tend to reside on pets. Fleas are harder to find. He said that getting a flea comb is the best way to figure out if your pet has them.
Dr. Lewis said that prevention is the best way to help your pets.
"Pretty much all of the medications that are available to us are safe...there are oral medications, topical medications, that are designed to try as best as we can to keep fleas and ticks off pets in the first place," he said.
He said that outdoor treatment of your home is also a great way to prevent your pets from getting fleas and ticks. There are professional companies that will spray the perimeter of your home so that pests won't come anywhere near it.
"If we can keep the fleas out of the environment in the first place, we won't have to worry about them being on your pet in the second place," he said.
In terms of ticks, he said the key is keeping your pets out of area where ticks are more likely to be like high-grass areas and wooded-areas.
He said to check your pets for ticks regularly, and if you're unsure of whether or not your pet has them, taking a quick trip to the veterinarian never hurts. He said that having ticks removed is relatively inexpensive.
To hear more of what Dr. Lewis had to say, check out the clip above.