Our goal at Kirkwood Animal Hospital is to educate our clients about the best ways to help their pets live longer, healthier lives. Parasites, both internal and external, are among the most common problems facing our patients – and their loving owners.
The Foundation of Parasite Control is:
- Heartworm Prevention
- Intestinal Parasite control
- Flea control
Administered monthly, Trifexis™ will prevent Heartworms, Hookworms, Whipworms, Roundworms – it will also kill/prevent fleas. Trifexis™ controls all the worms that Sentinel or Interceptor does and Kills Fleas…. Do you want Dead Fleas or Sterile Fleas?
There are currently no products available on the market that control internal parasites, fleas, AND ticks. While there are lots of products on the market for tick control in Dogs, Kirkwood Animal Hospital recommends Vectra3D™ for tick control because it is:
- More Effective
- Lasts longer than other products
- Repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and biting flies, sand flies, lice and mites
Rapid kill or prevention of feeding is most important in the prevention of diseases transmitted by ticks. While it is generally accepted that killing ticks within 24-48 hours will prevent disease transmission, this is not always the case. Thus, it is important to use a product that both repels and kills ticks quickly. There are several variables that will effect the longevity and efficacy of all tick control products – frequent bathing, swimming, re-infestation from your yard or neighborhood, and wild life spread.
No product is 100% effective in killing, repelling and preventing disease transmission from occurring. However, Vectra3D is the most effective tick control product available today.
Fleas:
Why is flea control so important to my dog?
Fleas carry diseases and internal parasites such as tapeworms. They are a nuisance to the pet and the family, and can result in flea allergies and severe skin infections. Integrated flea control can prevent and treat flea infestations and the health problems associated with them.
Ticks:
There are several important differences between fleas & ticks that require attention and care to ensure the health & happiness of your dog.
- Ticks are harder to control than fleas because ticks are present everywhere in the environment. It is also virtually impossible to control ticks outside.
- There is a major difference in your ability to spot flea infestation on your pet and your ability to spot tick infestation. A hypothetical example: You applied a broad-spectrum topical flea+tick product to your dog three weeks ago. Due to the natural half-life of the compound, the product is now at 95% efficacy. The dog gets out of the back yard and runs through the neighborhood, crawls under a flea infested porch or two and encounters 50 fleas. The product kills 95% of those fleas within the next 24 hours leaving 2 – 3 fleas on the dog. Most likely you will not even notice those fleas (exactly why KAH recommends keeping your dog on Trifexis™ – all year long to prevent your pet and home from being infested) However, the same dog takes off across a field and runs through a local woodlot and encounters 50 ticks. You will most likely have no problem noticing 2 – 3 engorged ticks a few days later!
- Finally, it must be remembered that treatments aimed at eliminating existing tick infestations are frequently applied too late to prevent disease and distress in pets. Depending on your dog’s exposure to ticks (going to the lake, wooded areas, etc.) they would benefit greatly by being placed on preventative tick control Vectra-3D™ throughout their life.
Click here for more information about fleas and other common parasites.
