One of the best things about summer in El Paso is the warm weather! It allows us to get out and do a lot of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, camping, and visiting the park more frequently. In El Paso the heat makes us take certain precautions to be able to enjoy the sunny weather. For humans that can mean sunscreen and bug repellent, but what does that mean for our pets?
During the summer months the warm weather brings out bugs that also irritate our pets such as fleas and ticks. It is often misunderstood that in El Paso the heat is so dry that we don’t see fleas and ticks. That is a myth. Pets are found all over El Paso year round with fleas and ticks. Fleas and ticks can be hidden from the naked eye under your pet’s hair or in the landscaping in the backyard. In extreme case fleas and ticks can be found in the carpet, couches, and beds of your home. In less than a month fleas can go from 2 to 1050! If left unprotected your pet can get bit by fleas and ticks causing itching, irritation, and pain. In more extreme cases we have seen fleas and ticks cause life threading diseases such as ehrlichia and lyme disease.
Remember that prevention is key. In most cases we don’t realize there is a problem until the disease or illness from fleas and ticks is far advanced. Spending that little bit of extra money each month to protect your pet you can be saving hundreds of dollars in the long run on treatment.
During the whole month of May Mesa Veterinary Clinic and Paws N Hooves Mobile Veterinary Services are offering $5 off a three month supply of Certifect! For more information please call us at 915-584-4491 or visit us at www.pnhvet.com.
Also check out Dr. Amy Starr’s video tips on fleas and ticks.
– Monique Munoz, Client Coordinator