In the warm summer months in the north and all year round in the south, your pets need to be protected from pests. Fleas and ticks thrive in the warm weather. We also travel with our protection dog much more than in the past, which exposes our pets to more opportunities to pick up these nasty little hitchhikers.

There are a few basics that can help keep your friend comfortable and healthy while fending off the dreaded pests.

First it is not enough to just treat the dog or cat. You must treat the areas they frequent. We use a barrier spray around the base of the house and inside on the base boards. Then we use a granular type of insecticide broad cast over the yard.

For dog care we use a quality flea and tick shampoo, then once the dog is dry we will use a top spot type treatment. There are several of these top spot type treatments on the market; it truly is a preference of your vet to choose which is best for your dog or cat.

Caring for your cat can be more strenuous…if your cat needs bathing. I try to keep up with the top spot treatments to save my cats and myself from the trauma of a bath.

Remember if your pet had fleas you need to keep an eye out for tape worms. They get them by eating a flea.

Best results come from treating the house the yard and your pets all on the same day.

By: Wendy Aston, Training Supervisor, Global K9 Group, LLC