Warmer weather, rain, sunshine, flowers, grass…ah spring is in the air! But spring brings BUGS! Ready or not the ticks are already out this season! Shopping for tick and flea prevention may be more confusing than ever, and let’s be honest, it’s not the most exciting way to spend money. However, picking the right prevention can save you a lot of money in vet bills or flea products; not to mention that getting rid of fleas is not easy!

At Mighty Pet we answer a lot of questions about topical tick and flea medications and help customers pick the right one for their pet and their situation. Here are a few things to consider when shopping for a topical flea and tick treatment.

1.     Does the price tag make a difference? In this case high price doesn’t always mean that the treatment will be more effective. There are a lot of good generic around, but you want to make sure you read the package and make sure what you’re buying is quality enough to get the job done. The key thing to look at is the active ingredients in the product as well as what the product kills and/or repels. Some of the cheaper alternatives use really harsh chemicals that leave oily residue and may not even take care of the bug you’re trying to prevent.

2.     How sensitive is my dog/cat? Some animals are more sensitive to the topical treatments than others. Just like humans and medications, we all react differently. If you’re concerned that your dog may be sensitive to topical treatments consult your vet before you make your purchase. The first time you put a new topical treatment on an animal it is best to observe them for a few days to make sure they aren’t having any adverse reactions. If they do, wash the product off with dawn dish soap and call your vet.

3.     What does the product do? Some products kill just fleas, some fleas and ticks but not flea eggs. Some repel flea, ticks and mosquitos although most do not. Why would you need a product that repels ticks and mosquitoes? Products that don’t repel still allow contact with the pest, which may still be able to transfer disease to your animal. In our area, it is common for animals to get anaplasmosis from deer ticks or heartworm from mosquitoes. If you are concerned about this you may want to consider a topical treatment that repels, such as Advantix II.

Our goal is to always make sure we help our customers make an educated decision on which product is right for them and their fur babies. So, we will leave you with a chart to help compare the different flea and tick topical treatments we carry at Mighty Pet. As always, stop in and we’d be glad to walk through it with you in person.

Remember: Prevention is cheaper than treatment! Let us help you protect your pet against ticks and fleas, mosquitoes and pests!