| Protect Your Pet from Tick-borne Diseases |
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With hot, sticky summers like we experienced this
year, tick season may extend well into December. This means that
pets, especially outdoor animals like hunting dogs, remain at risk
for getting tick-borne diseases. But it’s not just your hunting dogs
that you have to watch. In the southeast all dogs are susceptible to
three diseases carried by ticks: Lyme’s Disease, Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis.
The signs of any of these diseases in your animals can be extremely
unclear to the untrained eye. Symptoms range from loss of appetite
or exercise intolerance to lameness and extreme disorientation. To
make matters worse, it can take weeks before your dog shows any
symptoms at all after contacting the disease. You may never even
have seen the tick on your dog. Often the specific diagnosis is
overlooked initially and the affected dog’s condition continues to
worsen. However, most dogs respond well to the treatment of these
diseases once the proper diagnosis is made. |
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Of course, it is easier (and less
costly) to protect your dog from ticks than it is to deal with one
of these medical problems. Good tick control can greatly reduce the
risk of transmission of any of these diseases to your dogs. There
are more effective products for tick infestation prevention on the
market than ever before. Frontline (spot-on or spray) and a
Preventic collar are two of the most popular items on the market.
Each of these recommended products usually costs anywhere from $10 -
$13 per month. This is a small price to pay for tick control and the
peace of mind that comes from knowing that your best friend is
protected.
Before purchasing any brand of tick control, check with your vet to
make sure the product is veterinarian approved. |
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