Ticks are related to spiders and attach themselves to your pet, gorging on their blood.  Fleas are insects and can live in your house and on your pets at any time during the year.  Even if it is cold outside, it is warm in your house.  Flea eggs can live for 2 years before dying! They can come in through screen doors, on our clothing or shoes.  Even in the frozen winter months, they can stay alive in little piles of leaves or other vegetation and then be tracked in.  Once inside, they multiply by the MILLIONS!  Being indoors-only does not protect your cat or dog from fleas!!

In addition, 85% of fleas and ticks carry infectious diseases that can affect your pet and can even make you sick!

• Lyme's disease
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Anemia due to red blood cell parasites
• Itching and flea allergies, such as Anaplasma and Ehrlichia
• Tapeworms

How Common Are Tick-Borne Diseases?

• Lyme in Dogs 
  • 1 in 340 dog tested positive for Lyme disease
  • 11.71% of all positive cases of roundworms in Ohio were in Cuyahoga County.

• Anaplasma in Dogs 
  • 1 in 470 dog tested positive for Anaplasma
  • 19.8% of all positive cases of Anaplasma in Ohio were in Cuyahoga County.

• Ehrlichia in Dogs 
  • 1 in 433 dog tested positive for Ehrlichia
  • 9.28% of all positive cases of Echlichia in Ohio were in Cuyahoga County.

Knowing a little about how fleas multiply will help you to understand why fleas are so difficult to eradicate.  The flea life cycle consists of 4 stages – egg, larva, pupae and adult.  Adult fleas account for only 1% of the total flea population.  Once on your pet, adults never leave.  They ingest blood, breed, and lay dozens of eggs every day.  The eggs fall off your pet, lingering anywhere your pet spends time.  The eggs hatch quickly into microscopic larvae.  The larvae prefer dark, moist areas like mulch beds outside and carpeting indoors.  The larvae spin cocoons and pupate for up to one year.  The pupae hatch into adult fleas if conditions are right, and jump back on to your pet, to begin the vicious cycle all over.  This cycle can occur in as little as three weeks.

Prevention is the key word in flea control!  Parastar, Easyspot and Revolution are liquids applied to the skin on the back of the neck.  These medications kill fleas when they come in contact with your pet’s skin for up to 30 days.  Parastar, Easyspot and Revolution also have the added benefit of killing ticks and mites.  Your pet should be on a flea preventive year-round.  These medications do not interact with any other medications given to dogs and cats.

We recommend and use Revolution every month year round to protect against fleas, ticks, heartworms and other parasites on dogs and cats.  This is a topical product that is applied once a month.  All cats and dogs 8 weeks of age or older should receive Revolution year round. 

For more information, please visit www.revolutionpet.com