Time is now to protect your pets from fleas & ticks

Despite the fact the thermometer on my porch read 10 degrees, this morning I received a reminder that spring is indeed on its way. One of my cats came in with a deer tick.

While certainly it is best to maintain a flea and tick control program throughout the year, all pet owners know that spring is the time to get serious when it comes to making sure your pet doesn't bring unwanted visitors into your home.

Fleas are not only a nuisance, they're also dangerous to your pet. They transmit tapeworms, cause skin irritation and can even lead to severe skin conditions. Also, if there are fleas on your pet, there are fleas in your house. With amazing speed, a couple of fleas will become an infestation that is difficult and expensive to eradicate.

Ticks not only cause irritation, but can carry a variety of diseases, including the increasingly common Lyme disease. A severe tick infestation will also weaken an animal due to blood loss.

The number of flea and tick prevention products on the market today is staggering. How does a pet owner decide what's right?

First, talk to a veterinarian. Your vet can give you the pros and cons of each treatment method.

If you're considering overthe counter treatment, avoid products that contain organophosphate insecticides (OPs) and carbamates. A product contains one of these two products if the ingredient list includes chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon, or malathion, carbaryl or propoxur.

These products pose potential dangers not only to pets but also to children.

Flea collars pose risks to pets and humans. Flea collars, of course, contain insecticide. If the pet ingests the insecticide, it could cause illness.

Petting the animal can leave that insecticide on human hands. If those hands then come into contact with the mouth, the person has ingested that pesticide as well. If your pet wears a flea collar, be sure to wash your hands after handling the pet.

It's very important that the collar fit your pet properly. You should be able to slide two fingers between the pet's neck and the collar, but no more.When using collars, it's best to look for one with a break-away snap that will allow the pet to break the collar if they need to.

The new "spot-on" treatments pose a minimal risk to pets and humans alike. These involve applying a few drops of the product between the animal's shoulder blades. In my experience, over the counter spot-ons have various levels of effectiveness and longevity.

There are also spot-ons that can be obtained through a veterinarian. These tend to be more effective than those over the counter products.

'Til next time, take care of those you love . . . even those with fur, feathers, fins or scales.