Fleas, ticks, and parasites aren’t just a summer problem! Year-round prevention is key to making sure your pet is protected from these pests or the diseases they may carry.

These pests aren’t just annoying: fleas can transmit tapeworm and cause anemia, while ticks are well-known carriers of many diseases including Lyme disease and typhus. Tick-borne diseases impact people too, another reason an effective tick repellant is critical to the health of your pet and your family. If your dog is on tick control, the ticks the dog encounters are killed, and they’re not in the home environment where they can transmit infection to your family or other pets.

Heartworm is an even more dangerous threat to your pet. Indoor pets are not immune, as 1 out of 4 cats diagnosed with heartworm disease are strictly indoor pets. As the name suggests, heartworms live in the heart, and they can also thrive in the lungs and blood vessels. Because they constrict blood flow, they can damage internal organs and cause lung disease and heart failure.

Sadly, many animals don’t show symptoms until the disease is advanced, if at all. While there is treatment for canines, it is expensive and can be very hard on your dog. (There is no heartworm cure for cats.)

Prevention is always the best treatment! At Boca Palms Animal Hospital,we know how important it is to protect your pet from parasites of all kinds. That’s why we carry wide array of preventatives in our clinic, and your veterinarian can help you choose which one is right for your pet. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 561-395-4030.