Ask a Pets Blogger: Why Flea and Tick Prevention Fails

I treat my cat regularly with Advantage, but she keeps turning up with fleas! Why won’t they go away? You’re not alone with this problem — flea and tick management can be a constant battle. Here are some things that might help turn the tide in your favor. Make sure you are applying the medication correctly. The liquid needs to go on the skin, not on the fur — hair won’t absorb the medication. Make sure you place the medication in a place your pet can’t reach to lick off. Be sure to apply ALL the medication! Make sure your … Continue reading

Get to the Vet (With a Little Help from Bayer)

Somebody in one of my online pet communities alerted me to GetToTheVet.com. The basic idea is this: Bayer Animal Health (makers of Advantage flea and tick prevention) is going to give away a quarter of a million dollars in veterinary vouchers to help folks get their pets in for vet visits during these tough economic times. As the site says: “…many pet owners are facing difficult choices about how to pay for and prioritize their pets’ care and wellness. And unfortunately, veterinary visits and preventive veterinary care are often cut due to financial struggles and concerns.” Between February 16 and … Continue reading

Treating Chin Acne in Pets

Don’t stress too much if your pet develops chin acne — it’s a relatively common problem in dogs and cats! One of the most common causes for chin acne is allergies. A pet may be allergic to fleas, foods, plastic in bowls, or inhaled particles like pollen and mold spores. Dealing with the allergy can make a big difference in many cases of chin acne. Treat your pet with a monthly flea/tick preventative like Frontline, Advantage, Sentinel, or Revolution. Spray your home and yard to clear up flea infestations if one is present or suspected. Eliminate plastic food and water … Continue reading

Increasing Demands on Pet Food Banks and Low-Cost Clinics

Financial crises are making the news a lot these days. Homes are in foreclosure, jobs are lost, and debt and cost of living are soaring. Some people are forced to consider giving up family pets in order to keep going. In order to save some money, some pet owners are skipping preventative care like annual exams, vaccinations, and monthly treatments like heartworm and flea/tick prevention. Some people are declining expensive diagnostic tests when a pet is sick. Others are turning to food pantries in the hope of finding kibbles for furry family members. If you’ve never had a pet, it’s … Continue reading

The Pets Blog Week in Review for April 14-20

If the spring in the air has kept you out instead of in more, but you still want to keep up on the happenings in the Pets Blog, fear not. This handy Week in Review will keep you in the loop about Aimee and I wrote about on: Monday, April 14 Aimee covered everything you’d ever want to know about guinea pig cages. Sometimes an inspirational animal story comes along that is just marvelously wonderful. The story of Oscar the naked cockatoo is just such a story. Tuesday, April 15 There is both an art and science to guinea pig … Continue reading

Flea and Tick Prevention Options for Pets with Sensitive Skin

I mentioned recently that Lally seems to be having trouble with a new flea and tick preventative we tried. Hopefully we won’t have any more skin problems if I switch back to Frontline… but I wonder if she’s just getting more allergic as she ages. That got me thinking about alternatives to the insecticide-medication-on-the-skin type of flea and tick prevention. Traditional flea and tick collars. You might remember the narrow white collars that dogs and cats used to wear before medications like Frontline and Sentinel came along? Since the medication doesn’t get soaked into the skin, it might be an … Continue reading

Pet Reactions to Medication

Around the first of the month, it is time for Moose and Lally to get their heartworm and flea and tick preventatives. The routine is much the same every time: they both love chowing down on the chewy heartworm preventative. Moose tolerates getting the liquid flea and tick medication on his back; Lally hates it. She tries to run away, she grumbles and meeps at me, but in the end, she suffers through it. This month, we tried switching from Frontline to a different flea and tick preventative. As far as I can tell, it works as well. (The vet … Continue reading