It's Flea, Tick and Mosquito Season!

June 7, 2025

Flea, tick and heartworm medication is a must during Spring to Fall Sometimes earlier/longer depending on how warm it is. I give heartworm medication to my dogs year round, and flea/tick medications spring through late Fall, again depending on the temperature. In year round warmer and humid states, these medications are a must year round. 

 

Heartworm medication prevents heartworm disease, which is spread by mosquitos and   can severely damage the heart, lungs and arteries. This can result in shortness of breath, cough, exercise intolerance, heart failure, and death. Treatment for heart worm disease is expensive as well as dangerous. Prevention is easy, safe and is not expensive as heartworm treatment!

 

Normally, ticks are only up in the mountains, but lately they have been popping up in  Thornton and other locations at lower elevations. Colorado has many ticks, such as the  Rocky Mountain wood tick,  American dog tick, Lone Star tick,   brown dog tick, and Blacklegged tick,  also known as the deer tick. These ticks transmit  a variety of diseases.

• Rocky Mountain wood ticks transmit Colorado tick fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. 
• American Dog ticks transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. 
• Brown Dog ticks transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever. 
• Lone Star ticks transmit Southern tick-associated rash illness 
• Blacklegged tick, also known as the deer tick  transmits Lyme disease. A friend of mine contracted Lyme disease while camping many years ago. She still has terrible joint pain, fevers, weakness, and extreme lethargy. 

How to remove a tick:

• If you are uncomfortable removing a tick, please consult with a veterinarian!
• Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with tweezers.  Once you get a good grip on the tick, pull the tick away quickly. Make sure to get the head and do NOT crush the tick. 
• Disinfect the area using betadine, or soap and water. If you have chlorhexidine at home, that would be best. 
• Live ticks should be placed  in alcohol,  wrapping with tape, but in a sealed bag or container, or flushing it down the toilet. It is best to take it to your veterinarian to find out what kind of tick it is.
• Testing for tick diseases at your veterinarian one month later is highly recommended, or if they show any symptoms such as lameness, lack of appetite, lethargy, etc.

Prevention: 

• Heartworm medications such as Heartgard Plus, Simparica Trio, Trifexis, Interceptor Plus, Tri-Heart Plus, NexGard PLUS, and Revolution are some examples.
• ProHeart  12 is an injection that is given at your veterinary clinic. This injection lasts one year, which is easier for people who forget the monthly injection. Heartworm/tick testing is required every six months. As well as a test at the 12 months mark.

 

Always check your pet, as well as yourself, for ticks if you have been in grassy/weed filled areas or near trees. Especially if you have been in the mountains hiking, camping, etc. And if you ever have questions about heartworm/flea and tick prevention, as well as transmission of disease, always consult with your veterinarian. As a veterinary technician since 2006, I've seen a gammit of issues surrounding lack of prevention. 

Do you love plants? I sure do, and a lot of pets do, too. Here are some ways to keep them safe!

March 31, 2025

These days most people I know have plants. And, tropical plants are being sold almost everywhere.  Most tropical plants are toxic to pets. Please put them higher up so your pet  cannot get to them.

When purchasing your new plant, some things to research are:

• Find out the name of your plant. If there isn't a label on the pot, use Google Lens. It's pretty good at identification. If Google cannot identify the plant, always assume it is toxic. You can also go to the ASPCA website, internet search, or download apps. 
• I keep a journal of all my plants (total plant nerd), that way I can keep track of who is toxic, who is mildly toxic, and who is pet safe.  As well as specific soil combinations each plant likes, humidity, fertilizer.......(told you, total plant nerd.)
• I use colored plant tags, like you would use in the garden, that indicate what plant is what toxicity level. Red = toxic, yellow = mild, green = pet safe. 
• Toxic plants I place as high up as possible, or hang them from pots. The only exception are my Monsteras. They are beasts and there is nothing sturdy enough to keep them up high. Fortunately, my pets could care less about those.  Sadly, my fave plants are Alocasia, of which I have at least 20. They are all toxic, and someday will be huge. But, that is a problem for another day. 

I'm in no means an expert with every plant, so the best way is to research the plant you like at the store, or just assume it is toxic, and put it up high once you get it home. Also, if your pet does chew on/eat one of your plants, look at the ASPCA toxic plant website or call your veterinarian ASAP.

People Food is for People (Our Pets Would Disagree) 

November 14, 2024

First official blog post! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, let's talk about what  foods are no no's for your pets.  I know most of us love to share our goodies with our pets *looks across the room at my husband* but there are some foods that should absolutely be avoided.