Protecting our pets from ticks and fleas

#NoBiteisRight

*This post is sponsored by No Bite is Right and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network TM. I am being compensated to help create awareness about Summer Safety and Protecting Pets against fleas and ticks
but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. The blogger is responsible for the contents and not the sponsors mentioned above.*

Ticks.
We know all about them in this house. And, we know the effects that a tick bite can have.

Three years ago my husband was bitten by a tick and now has Lyme disease.

Although they caught the disease in its early stages, he still suffers from fatigue and joint pain. We’re not sure if this will ever fully go away.
Lyme is a borreliosis caused by borrelia bacteria, which commonly infects woodland animals like mice or deer. Ticks pick up the bacteria by biting infected animals, and then pass it on to their human hosts.

The No Bite is Right™ campaign is working hard to educate pet owners about the importance of flea and tick prevention.
Fleas and ticks are a rising concern across Canada and can spread many different harmful diseases.

It’s time for us pet owners to get educated and protect our pets.

According to Canadian researchers, tick populations have grown 10 times over in the past two decades within Canada

Researchers also estimate that if you draw a line marking tick territory across Canada, that line moves 45 km farther north every year.

There are a variety of different types of fleas and ticks that can bite your pet and spread many types of diseases, some of them very serious and life threatening.

Lyme disease is one of the most well-known diseases transmitted by ticks.

It is possible for our pets to get Lyme disease.

When infection leads to disease in dogs, they become lame because of inflammation of the joints. There may also be a lack of appetite and depression. More serious complications include damage to the kidneys, and rarely, heart or nervous system disease.

This is scary stuff. Our family is living the first-hand effects of a tick bite.

According to a recent survey of Canadian pet owners, their #1 concern is avoiding the BITE. People want protection for their pets.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, although dogs and cats can get Lyme disease, there is no evidence that they spread the disease directly to their owners. However, pets can bring infected ticks into your home or yard. Consider protecting your pet, and possibly yourself, through the use of tick control products for animals.

A few things you should know about treatments:

Systemic products (taken orally, usually as a chewable treat) actually require the flea or tick to bite your pet while

non-systemic products (applied to the surface of the pet’s skin), otherwise known as “contact kill” treatment, do

not require the pest to bite, rather, they work on contact.

With systemic products, the pest has to bite because medication is running through the pet’s bloodstream. The pest has to keep feeding until it has ingested enough medication to be killed. This leaves your pet vulnerable since diseases are transmitted through the bite.

However, with non-systemic products, when the pest lands on the pet, it becomes uncoordinated, allowing time for the medication to kill the flea or tick. These products greatly reduce the ability of fleas and ticks to bite, attach and feed from your pet, thereby reducing the chance of disease transmission.

The clock is ticking… flea and tick season is around the corner.
Ticks love milder weather, so we typically see an increase in flea and tick bites during the spring and the fall.

With milder winters, like the one we just had, flea and tick seasons are extended longer than normal, so pet owners need to be more aware of proactive measures.

Flea Facts:

Fleas can live up to 100 days and can lay up to 50 eggs a day and a single flea could bite up to 400 times per day.
Dogs can be allergic to flea saliva and can result in bald spots from scratching and chewing their fur.
Fleas don’t just cause itching, discomfort and open sores from flea allergy dermatitis, they can also be a source of tapeworms, and cause anemia and household infestations.

Pet owners are concerned about their pets suffering from flea bites and the inconvenience and impact on their home and family.

No one wants to have to deal with this, let alone your pet!

Speak with your vet about what flea and tick treatment is best for your pet. Ask about how to reduce the chance of your pet even being bitten.

Follow Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund on the Campaign!

Photo Courtesy of Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund

Follow the #NoBiteIsRight tour at www.NoBiteIsRight.com and come meet Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund. Enter to win an appearance by Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund at your vet’s clinic!

Tweet #NoBiteIsRight, your vet’s city, the name of your vet’s clinic, and tag @Celeb_Dachshund between April 18 – May 6, 2016.
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