What's Bugging Your Pet

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Country Vet

Helping your pet through fleas, ticks and the dog days.

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ARE UPON US. IN Vermont, we are getting ready for the Champlain Valley Fair, zucchinis are the size of baseball bats, prize sheep and pigs are getting their annual (though unwanted) bath, and nights are a bit cooler. But for all the outward placidity of these last summer days, it's a battle ground in the jungle of your pet's fur. In most areas of the country, late summer is the height of the flea and tick season.

It's important to remember that as your animal begins to spend more time inside, so do their unwanted friends. And as the fall draws nearer, the fleas and ticks on Duke's or Cleo's back are going to bug you; they'll want to nest in your sofa, your bed, or your children's beds. They will make a home everywhere that your pet does after a long day of ball-chasing or mousing.

Unfortunately, really successful parasite prevention starts around tax day, but it's never too late to take Fido in hand and get a grip on what could be a late-summer infestation. But before you start, sit back for a minute or two, listen to the crickets, drink a glass of lemonade, and feel a few rays of the sun filter through the maple trees to your feet. After all, summer just never lasts long enough.

Q: I'm very cautious about exposing my children to Lyme disease, but my dog just bounds into danger areas. What can I do?

A: You're right to worry about keeping your children from bounding into danger areas. Deer ticks care who plays host to them and will hop onto a child just as readily as a dog.

As far as curtailing a possible infestation of your dog, there are definitely things you can do. Keeping pets and persons away from those "danger areas" (including deep wood; marshy, reedy areas; and very grassy fields) is a good start. Given that it is impossible to restrain the animal's activities, it's important to know how you can have the upper hand in tick control:

Grooming is very important. First, brush out your dog's hair. Once the animal is not tangled or matted and the bulk of the undercoat is gone, use as fine a comb as your animal will tolerate to remove any loose parasites as well as their eggs that may be clinging to the skin or hair.

Tick baths and powders can be very effective. However, if you have a hound that won't get out of the water (a retriever, poodle, or pointer), this may not be practical; all the tick-fighting chemicals will be washed off. Should you decide to go with a powder, ask your vet to recommend one. Bear in mind: These powders are highly toxic and you may want to reconsider if you have a dog with a delicate constitution or you have very young children.

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