More On Parasite Prevention

Why does my veterinarian keep recommending parasite prevention? There are so many options out there how do I choose the right one? What does parasite prevention really do?

🐾 Parasite Prevention: A Brief Summary

Parasite prevention involves the routine use of veterinarian-approved medications to protect pets (and people) from harmful organisms that live on or inside the body. This is a crucial, year-round aspect of routine pet healthcare.

What is Parasite Prevention?

It is a proactive strategy using oral, topical, or injectable medications to prevent infestations and infections from key internal and external parasites, including:

  • External Parasites: Fleas (cause itching, skin infections, and tapeworms) and Ticks (transmit dangerous diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever).

  • Internal Parasites: Heartworms (transmitted by mosquitoes and cause potentially fatal heart and lung damage) and Intestinal Worms (like roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms, which cause diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition).

Why Vets Strongly Recommend It

Vets recommend consistent, year-round prevention for three primary reasons:

  1. To Protect Pet Health: Parasites can cause conditions ranging from chronic skin allergies and anemia to fatal organ damage (as seen with heartworm disease). Prevention is significantly safer, easier, and less expensive than treating a full-blown infestation or advanced disease.

  2. To Protect Human Health (Zoonotic Risk): Many pet parasites, such as hookworms and roundworms, are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted to humans, especially children, and cause serious health issues. Protecting your pet helps protect your entire family.

  3. To Account for Year-Round Risk: Parasites are not just a seasonal problem. Fleas can survive and breed indoors during winter, ticks can be active any time temperatures are above freezing, and mosquitoes can spread heartworm in mild climates or indoors. Year-round medication ensures there are no gaps in protection.

Not all Parasite Prevention is the same, make sure to speak to your veterinarian to find the right one for your pet and lifestyle.

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Check out this Tick Size Chart, they don’t start out very large and can be easily missed.

Here’s a step by step guide on how to remove a tick if you find one attached to your pet .