Overview

In our area, we have many serious parasites that can wreak havoc on our pets.  While some of these parasites are definitely a nuisance and may cause various illnesses, others can be carriers of disease or even be fatal. The most common are:

• Fleas (dermatitis, anemia, carriers of blood-borne pathogens, transmit tapeworms)

• Heartworms (congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolisms, often fatal without treatment)

• Ticks (dermatitis, transmit Lyme disease and other blood-borne pathogens, anemia, tick paralysis)

• Intestinal parasites: hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms (intestinal inflammation, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, stunted growth, anemia, and dehydration)

• Earmites (ear infections and self-trauma from scratching, aural hematoma)

• Scabies (intense itching, dermatitis, and secondary skin infections)

Our goal is to provide the most effective and safest parasite medications available.

Dogs and Fleas

A  prescription product named Nexgard has become our treatment of choice for fleas and ticks for dogs. Nexgard is a tasty beef chew that dogs love that starts killing fleas and ticks within 2 hours of ingestion and is effective for a full month. Unlike a topical, you don't need to worry about the medication being washed or rubbed off before it's absorbed and no messy residue on the fur! 

We recommend Effitix Plus for dogs if you are looking for a non-prescription topical flea and tick preventative.  It is a waterproof, monthly topical medication that kills all stages of fleas, as well as ticks, mosquitoes, biting flies, and lice.  It is an affordable way to prevent flea and tick infestations on your dog.

Cats and Fleas

For cats, we use a prescription product called REVOLUTION to prevent fleas, intestinal parasites, ear mites, scabies, and heartworms. This medication is a once-a-month topical that provides the most comprehensive protection for both indoor and outdoor cats. For more information, go to www.revolutionpet.com We recommend Feline Effipro Plus as our non-prescription product for preventing fleas on cats. It is a waterproof, monthly topical medication that kills all stages of fleas, as well as ticks, mosquitos, and chewing lice.

Dogs and Heartworms

Beginning January 1, 2019, we will require a negative heartworm test within the preceding 12 months in order to dispense or authorize the dispensation of heartworm preventative for all dogs. 

Heartworm prevention has become more complicated due to the development of some heartworms that are resistant to the preventatives, and the now year-round prevalence of mosquitoes. As recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Heartworm Society, yearly testing is the only way to be sure your pet is not infected, even if he/she is on a preventative. We require a negative heartworm test within the preceding 12 months in order to dispense heartworm preventative for all dogs.

We recommend Simparica Trio as the monthly preventative of choice for dogs. It provides the most comprehensive protection in one easy dose per month: heartworm, fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasite. We also carry IverHart Max as a cost effective product that protects against heartworm and intestinal parasites, but requires separate flea and tick preventative such as Nexgard or Effitix.

If you struggle with getting your dog to take an oral preventative or remembering to give it on time, we also have ProHeart-6 injectable heartworm preventative. Each injection protects your dog for 6 months from heartworms and hookworms.