Parasite Control

Ticks 

Ticks are becoming more and more prevalent in Ontario and certainly within our own community.  In the past we did not see ticks in our area, but with global warming and migratory birds we are seeing more and more ticks and different species of ticks.  These parasites are not just a gross and a nuisance, they can cause serious illness in both humans and dogs.  Diseases like Lyme and Ehrlichiosis we find positives in our practice every year.  Other diseases ticks can spread are Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Babesiosis and tick paralysis. 
Learn more about ticks and tick borne diseases they can spread. 
Clinical Signs of Tick disease: 
  • coughing 
  • joint pain
  • trouble breathing, fever
  • weakness or loss of coordination
  • Loss of appetite, weight and energy 
Call us or ​Book an appointment if your pet is experiencing any of these clinical signs, or if your pet comes in contact with a tick, we can help you with removal of the tick and answer any of your concerns.

​The best way to protect your pets from ticks is to put them on tick prevention, this will protect you pets from ticks and greatly reduce the risk of tick borne diseases. Don't panic if you find a tick on your pet, this can happen even if they are on a tick control product; depending on which product you choose.  Some will kill the tick quickly when they attached to your dog or cat; others will kill them when they touch the pets skin.  Ask our team which prevention is best for your pet.

Heartworm
Another parasite that we routinely protect against is Heartworm because this is a life-threatening parasite.  Heartworm is transmitted through mosquito bites.  Once this parasite enters into your dog it will take 9 months to move through your pets body through the skin, blood vessels, lungs and eventually to the heart.
In dogs signs of heartworm:
  • coughing, fatigue, weight loss
  • difficulty breathing
Treating Heartworm is very expensive and the treatment is very tough on your pet to the point where it could cause death.  It is far easier to prevent Heartworm than to treat it.  Cats can also get Heartworm but there is no approve treatment for them.
The best way to protect your dog or cat from Heartworm is annual testing and prevention medicine given monthly.  These parasite prevention medicines are combined together to make it convenient and affordable for pet owners.  Call us or B​ook an appointment and we will discuss what is best for you and your pet.
For more information on Heartworm please visit the
American Heartworm Society  
​This is a US site, Canada does not have a Heartworm society, our prevalence is very similar especially with imported dogs from the US.  We feel this is a reliable site with accurate information for our clients.

              Fleas
Fleas can cause big problems from minor to infesting your home.  Not only can these parasites cause severe itching, irritation, and allergies, but they can also transmit tapeworms and diseases.  Fleas can not only infest your pets, they can be found out in the wild on any living thing. That's how your pets bring fleas into your home, they pick up a hitchhiker flea while on walks, hikes or even your backyard.  All it takes is 1 flea to lay 50 eggs per day and within a month you will have over million fleas in your home, where fleas will not only feed on your pets, but on humans. 
The best way to protect against fleas is to use prevention; we have combined many of the common parasites that pose a threat to our pets into convenient 1 or 2 treatments per month. 
Call us or Book an appointment and we will do a risk assessment on your pet and discuss which prevention options are best for your pet.   ​