Just like vaccines, routine parasite prevention should be an essential part of your dogs' care. Parasites come in many shapes and sizes and can even be microscopic. The most common parasites include, but are not limited to...
Fleas - can transmit tapeworms and in some dogs may cause an allergic reaction resulting in severe itching, dermatitis, hot spots, loss of fur, and possible skin infection
Ticks - deer ticks can transmit Lyme disease
Heartworms - spread by mosquitos
Hookworms, Roundworms and Whipworms - occur when a dog ingests contaminated soil or feces containing eggs or larvae
Routine prevention comes in collars, topical and oral options, and have a variety of coverage depending on your pups needs. For example, when we lived in Washington State, we didn't have to worry about mosquitos and ticks. But now that we live in Florida, mosquitos and ticks are everywhere so we had to switch our prevention plan. In my experience, here's a few of the most common and effective prevention options on the market right now.
Simparica Trio
A monthly chewable that protects against heartworm disease, fleas, ticks, roundworms & hookworms. Safe for puppies as young as 8 weeks old, weighing at least 2.8 lbs.
Trifexis
A monthly chewable that protects against fleas, heartworm disease, hookworm, roundworm and whipworm. Safe for puppies as young as 8 weeks old, weighing at least 5 lbs.
Bravecto
A topical or chewable prevention, administered every 12 weeks that protects against fleas and ticks. Safe for puppies as young as 8 weeks old, weighing at least 4.4 lbs.
Heartgard
A monthly chewable that protects against heartworm disease and five species of intestinal worms. Safe for puppies as young as 6 weeks old, weighing at least 1 lb. Often paired with a separate flea prevention, such as NexGard or Credelio.
NexGard
A monthly chewable that protects against fleas and ticks. Safe for puppies as young as 8 weeks old, weighing at least 4 lbs. Often paired with a separate heartworm prevention, such as Heartgard.
Credelio
A monthly chewable that protects against fleas and ticks. Safe for puppies as young as 8 weeks old, weighing at least 4.4 lbs. Often paired with a separate heartworm prevention, such as Heartgard.
Sentinel
A monthly chewable that protects against fleas, heartworms and intestinal worms. Safe for puppies as young as 4 weeks old, weighing at least 2 lbs.
A few other popular prevention options include but are not limited to; Comfortis, Interceptor Plus, and Advantage Multi.
As always, never hesitate to consult your trusted veterinarian when deciding what prevention is best for your furry friend!
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