The Dangers of Insect Bites: What You Need To Know – Part 2

In last Monday’s post, we learned about three extremely dangerous insects: fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. These tiny insects carry diseases and can cause significant harm (and even death) to your pets.  Steve Dale, pet expert and certified dog and cat behaviorist, told me that veterinarians have noticed a significant increase in vector-borne diseases among dogs in metropolitan areas. Scary, but true.

Photo credit: Thomas Hawk / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Here are just a few vector-borne diseases that insects can cause in dogs:

• Anaplasmosis
• Erlichiosis
• Lyme Disease
• Otoacariasis
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Flea Allergic Dermatitis
• Hemoplasmas
• Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Plaque
• Typhus
• Heartworm

“Our pets bring us so much joy but we don’t want parasites in our house. All of the things that can be scary to our beloved dogs and us can be avoided,” says Dale. “These are simple steps and reasonably affordable, especially considering the expense and troubles if we allow those parasites to infect our pets.”

I couldn’t agree more. Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue saved a dog last year that tested heartworm positive. It took thousands of dollars of fundraising to save this young dog’s life. What was so heartbreaking for most of us involved was that the entire ordeal could have been prevented had the dog just been put on heartworm preventative. When you think of the money that pet owners could save – not to mention the pain and suffering that these diseases cause in dogs,  it’s a no-brainer.

So, which preventative works best? Many dog owners try to save money by buying certain products that might be cheaper.

“The bottom line is these pet owners often end up buying a product that doesn’t work or they simply don’t comply with the product’s usage or both,” adds Dale. “They can avoid problems, save money and better ensure their pets’ health simply by visiting a veterinarian.”

Dale spoke to me about Vectra 3D, a topical product much like Frontline that kills dangerous parasites on contact and prevents them from feeding on pets, a key factor in broad-spectrum protection. The interesting thing to me about Vectra 3D is that it protects dogs from fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice, mites… even biting and sand flies (though I don’t think we have those last two in New York City), and several of these insects (most notably mosquitoes) are not repelled by Frontline.

Source: http://www.vectrapet.com/

Beyond preventative, there are some simple steps that you can take to reduce your dog’s exposure to these insects.

• Wash your hands after petting or handling your dog.
• Keep your home free of parasites. Call an exterminator if you suspect there may be an infestation. Yes, some ticks live indoors!
• Use a vacuum beater bar on your rugs and furniture to suck up fleas, and then dispose of the bag properly.
• Maintain the areas outside of your home. Pay close attention to sections that are away from direct sunlight and have moisture such as underneath backyard decks. Ticks and their primary hosts (mice, chipmunks, and other small animals) may hide there and leave insects behind to bite your dog.
• Keep grass low cut. Ticks like to climb blades 10-12″ long!
• Keep your dog away from shrubs and trees.
• Use plants that are deer-resistant.
• Remove any standing water around your home ASAP. I cannot emphasize this one enough! Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
• Bring your dog indoors at night when mosquitoes tend to feed.
• Pick up any pet feces immediately and wash your hands after doing so.

Bottom line? Protect your dog all year round and DON’T WAIT FOR THE BITE! If you have any questions about which preventative you should use on your pet, please schedule an appointment to consult with your veterinarian.

Looking for Part 1? Click HERE.

Disclaimer: Vectra 3D is not indicated for the treatment of heartworm disease. This post is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for any medical advice provided by your veterinarian. You should not use information contained in this post to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, or prescribe any medication. If you suspect that your pet has a medical problem, contact your veterinarian. 

What steps do you take to protect your furry wiggle butt from parasites? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.

 

The Dangers of Insect Bites: What You Need To Know – Part 1

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having dinner with Steve Dale who is a pet expert and certified dog and cat behaviorist, journalist, radio host, and frequent speaker at national veterinary and animal welfare conferences. Steve was in New York City to promote a book he helped edit called Decoding Your Dog, written by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Though he was kind enough to give me (and sign) 2 books (one for Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue’s recent online auction), what he was really there to talk to me about was insect bites. I know what you’re thinking: Who cares about insect bites? Read on.

Steve Dale with his furry wiggle butts

As dog owners, we’ve all heard about the importance of flea and tick prevention. Depending on where you live in the world, the dangers of these insects are more (or less) pronounced but, when is the last time you heard about the dangers of mosquito bites for dogs? More importantly, did you know that mosquitoes are the pesky bugs that spread heartworm and that heartworm can be deadly?

Photo credit: Tobyotter / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

As a resident of New York City, I know that a lot of dog owners here only use flea and tick prevention on their dogs during the warm months and I’ve actually never heard of mosquito bite prevention for dogs. I also know plenty of dog owners who just don’t like the idea of putting a chemical or pesticide on their dog, myself included. That said, it’s a necessarily evil if you want to protect your dog and quite simply, a few months of protection out of the year just isn’t enough, regardless of your location. Steve told me that veterinarians have been seeing a huge spike in vector-borne diseases among dogs in metropolitan areas across the country, including New York City and his hometown of Chicago. I’m guessing the increase may be due to the fact that most city dwellers don’t believe they need to put their dogs on preventative all year long. After all, we’re surrounded by concrete – not trees!

But… then I remembered that time I took Frenchy for a walk in my Queens neighborhood only to find a tick embedded in her fur upon our return…  and then I confessed to Steve that for years, my husband and I have thought we might have a mosquito infestation behind our apartment building because every summer, we go crazy killing about 30 or so in our bedroom.

So, it’s time for us to get some scary facts out in the open:

FLEAS

• In just one day, a single flea can bite your dog more than 400 times.
• Blood consumption by fleas can produce iron deficiency anemia and even death in heavy infestations.
• Flea bites can cause flea allergy dermatitis – an allergic reaction to proteins in flea saliva.

TICKS

• Ticks can consume 100x their body weight in blood. (Ick)!
• Ticks spread Lyme Disease which dogs are 50% more likely to contract than humans.
• Studies show that topical products containing permethrin (which kills on contact) can prevent Lyme transmission to dogs.

MOSQUITOES

• It only takes one mosquito to transfer heartworm from one dog to another.
• Heartworm occurs in all 50 states.
• The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention, even in seasonal areas.
• Heartworms may live for 5-7 years and each mosquito season can lead to an increasing number of worms in dogs.
• There is no natural prevention for heartworms.
• More than 70 species of mosquitos can transmit heartworm disease.
• Humans can get heartworm but only by the bite of a mosquito carrying the disease. Petting or licking by a dog with heartworm cannot transmit the disease.

For now, I ask that you mull over these facts. In Part 2 (coming soon),  I’ll tell you more about what you can do to prevent vector-borne illnesses in your dog.

Disclaimer: This post is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for any medical advice provided by your veterinarian. You should not use information contained in this post to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, or prescribe any medication. If you suspect that your pet has a medical problem, contact your veterinarian. 

Were any of these insect danger facts new to you? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.