Year-Round Preventatives

When it gets cold, you don’t need to keep giving your pet flea, tick, or heartworm preventative medication, right? Wrong. Fleas and heartworms can survive in cold weather. Another cold-weather survivor is the bacteria responsible for Bordetella (kennel cough). Our veterinarians at Animal Oasis of the Rockies in Broomfield would like to look at the benefits of year-round preventatives for your pet.

Fleas

If fleas get in your home, they can happily survive the winter because you have the heat on. They can survive for months without a blood meal. Using flea and tick preventative medication from a veterinarian not only prevents fleas but also prevents tapeworms and the illnesses that fleas spread through their bites, such as cat scratch fever.

Ticks

Whether it is a chewable or a spot-on liquid treatment, Flea and tick preventative medicine is a great idea. It was once thought that ticks only lived in the warmer months. Unfortunately, ticks can survive the winter. Pets and people can get Lyme disease from ticks. Pets can be infected and not start to show symptoms for weeks or months.

Heartworms

Juvenile heartworms use mosquitoes as taxis from infected animals to your pets. They can survive for weeks, meaning they can live in your pet’s bloodstream long after the cold has killed all of the mosquitoes. Using heartworm preventative medication from your vet every month helps ensure that this deadly parasite stands little chance of infecting your pet.

Bordetella Vaccine

The bacteria responsible for Bordetella live year-round, jumping from species to species. You may bring home a new rabbit, only to discover that not only does your new pet have Bordatella, but now your cat, dog, and guinea pig have it as well. Bordetella vaccines are available for dogs. Like rabies vaccines, the Bordetella vaccine is required at pet boarding facilities. The vaccine requires a yearly booster.

Get Preventative Medication for Your Pet in Broomfield, CO

If you have questions about the benefits of year-round preventative medication and live in the Broomfield area, contact Animal Oasis of the Rockies. We are here to provide the advice and products that you need to protect your pet all year round. Call our team today at (303) 900-7765 to schedule an appointment with one of our veterinarians.