Asheville Animal Hospital Urges Pet Owners to Prevent Fleas and Ticks
(firmenpresse) - ASHEVILLE, NC -- (Marketwire) -- 03/28/12 -- The veterinarians at Charlotte Street Animal Hospital in Asheville are warning pet owners that spring is the start of flea and tick season. According to the animal hospital, not only do these parasites cause itching, painful bites, but they also spread diseases, some of which can be passed on to humans. The urges anyone who owns a cat or dog to take preventative measures, such as administering a monthly flea and tick medication that kills the adult insects as well as their eggs. The vet staff can recommend preventative medications based on the pet's size and species.
Dr. Mark Ledyard, Medical Director at Charlotte Street Animal Hospital, explains that prevention of fleas and ticks saves pets and their families a lot of misery. "Fleas and ticks start biting in April and go all the way through at least September, so it's important to apply these medications like clockwork every month. Otherwise we risk having a pet, and possibly other family members, suffer itchy, painful, and even disease-laden bites." Ledyard encourages pet owners to bring pets in to be weighed and examined, and then a can determine which anti-flea and tick preparation would work best. Doses can be obtained at the office or ordered from the .
According to Ledyard, flea bites can be more than just itchy annoyances for pets. When dogs continually scratch at a flea-bitten area, they can cause oozing sores called "hot spots," which can then become infected. Fleas can also transmit a bacterial parasite called Bartonella, which invades the animal's red blood cells and causes a wide variety of symptoms ranging from fever, vomiting and diarrhea, to upper respiratory diseases, eye diseases and oral ulcers. Cats can pass Bartonella to humans through scratches, which is why the serious human version of the disease is called "cat scratch fever." Fleas can also transmit tapeworms. Ledyard says that pet owners should bring their pets to the hospital for prompt treatment whenever they notice any unusual symptoms.
Ticks also spread their share of unpleasant, but preventable diseases, says Ledyard. Lyme disease is the most common of these, and can lead to lameness, joint pain and inflammation, fever, lethargy and loss of appetite. Meningoencephalitis, which can be fatal, is caused by tick-borne viruses that attack the brain and nervous system. Erlichiosis, which is a tick-borne bacterial infection, destroys an animal's white blood cells.
According to the , prevention is the best way to beat flea and tick-borne diseases. "We can't even take a cat in to our unless it is tick and flea-free. Pets and their families can avoid a lot of suffering and expense just by using the preventative measures available. There's no reason to suffer if you don't have to."
Pet owners can find more information on the hospital's website at
Charlotte Street Animal Hospital
Asheville, NC
1-888-667-5235
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Datum: 28.03.2012 - 14:00 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 129448
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ASHEVILLE, NC
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Healthcare
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