Tick, Tick, Tick....

This is going to be an AWFUL year for ticks in our region. They (those who know these things) were predicting it back in March or so, and, by golly, they were right! It's probably due to a few different conditions/situations, such as this year's weather/percipitation/temperatures, whether or not your pets were being treated for ticks (and fleas) during the Winter months, whether or not your pets go outside (and where they go outside---woods? high weeds?), and possibly the moon being in the seventh house...? Regardless of the reasons, it IS turning out as predicted, and I've been finding ticks on myself a few times, especially after doing some yard work.

Why are the products that used to work so well not as effective anymore? I have some theories---and these are only MY thoughts, no research to back them up. First, several very good products have now been on the market (mostly through veterinary clinics) for about 20 years (!) now. If you've been faithfully using one particular brand of flea/tick treatment year after year and you haven't moved from your living environment (same home/property), some of the fleas & ticks have developed resistance to that product, the same way antibiotics have devloped resistance over periods of time. There are some "super fleas & ticks" out there that have mutated over the years and are reproducing resistant offspring that aren't being killed by the same product that killed their grandparents. The manufacturers have tried to update their products a few times, but I don't believe it's been enough to completely kill off the resistant fleas & ticks.

If you've been living in the same house & your dogs/cats have been going out to the same yards over the years, they've probably been exposed to the same "lineage" of fleas & ticks. If you've moved once or more times, it might be less likely that the resistant fleas/ticks are a problem for your pets, since they've been exposed to different insects who might not have developed resistance due to being exposed to either NO flea & tick treatments, or maybe to different brands than the one you've used exclusively. Those fleas/ticks would be less likely to develop resistance to a particular brand (different brands use different active ingredients to kill the fleas/ticks).

When someone tells me that they're seeing more & more fleas & ticks on their pets even though they've been using the treatments as directed (usually once a month), I've been suggesting that they try a different brand (ex: switch from Frontline-Plus to Advantix II) for a season or two & watch for better results. That's still an option I'd recommend trying, especially if the problem hasn't gotten totally out of control. However, there are some newer products on the market (over the past one to three years or so) that might be something worth going straight for to nip the problem in the bud. The new products contain active ingredients that are new to ALL the fleas & ticks out there, so there shouldn't be resistance to them at all....for now.

Ask your veterinarian about your particular situation. The solution could be one of a few different approaches, depending on your pets' lifestyles, whether or not they have flea allergies, etc. It's important to know that ticks can carry serious diseases, transmitting them to our pets AS WELL AS to ourselves (Lyme Disease; Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, to name a couple), so they're not only a nuisance & creepy. And fleas can cause severe skin problems if a dog/cat is allergic to the saliva they "inject" when they bite your pet; it can only take a few fleas to make a pet miserable & for you to spend more money to treat the skin problems in addition to the flea/tick populations.

If the problem is severe enough, it might not be a bad idea to treat your yard/property with an appropriate product from your vet or a garden shop or have a professional pest control company treat the yard. Make sure the product used is safe for pets & humans/kids to return to after a certain waiting period---ask for specific directions. If the problem is REALLY bad, your entire house (interior) might require treatment, probably best done by a professional pest control company with a guarantee for successful riddance of all fleas & ticks. While they're treating the house and/or yard, you could take your pets to be bathed with an effective flea & tick shampoo, and you'll all be parasite-free for the time being.

But don't drop your guard! Continue to use the appropriate treatments, as directed, throughout the warm months (I actually recommend using them year-round in our climate, since the fleas don't "go away" during our relatively mild Winters). DON'T use a product labeled for use on dogs on a cat!!! This can be a fatal mistake; cats are not "little dogs", and what's safe to use on one is NOT necessarilly safe to use on the other (this is true of most medications).And use the appropriate product on yourself, if you're going to be outside in the woods, tall grass, or even sitting on a chair in your own yard---the ticks this year are going to take no prisoners!

So get started on your tick control right away....the "season" is already in progress. By the way, don't waste your money on the over-the-counter flea & tick treatments that cost only a few dollars: They don't work. Period. You might as well throw your money away (or send it to me ;-)). It's tempting since they cost SO much less than the veterinary-approved products, but you'll only be wasting your money, honestly. If you have any questions about a particular product, call your veterinarian & make sure you're going to get satisfactory results.

Dr. Paula Loniak runs Vet-to-Pet, a veterinary house call practice (706-870-7111) in the Athens area.