|
Fleas, ticks and allergies |
Cat health in the spring:
Fleas - Some vets believe fleas are the top health danger of the spring. Cats can get them from dogs, since dogs get walked outside and are more prone to catching them, a flea can also jump off human clothes and latch onto your pet for months. With one flea producing about fifty eggs a day, the population multiplies quickly.
Ticks are most active in spring and autumn when they climb stalks of grass
heather or bracken to wait for a passing animal to attach to. Once attached
it buries its mouthparts into the skin and has a meal of blood. it engorges
on its blood meal over a few days then falls off The tick is a source of
skin reactions and abscesses where it attaches but also carries diseases
such as Lyme disease.
If you find a tick on your pet the best action is to kill it with an
insecticide and leave it to drop off, if you pull it off
take care that you remove the whole tick, mouthparts and all.
Fur mites are much smaller than fleas and are just
visible to the naked eye. Sometimes called "creeping dandruff", they
affect dogs, cats and rabbits. The mites cause variable degrees of
itching and may also bite the owners of affected pets.
Allergies - Cats can develop allergies to air particles, just as humans do. Allergens include pollen, grass, weeds and even flea saliva. Cats sensitive to these irritants may itch and scratch severely, which can cause hair loss and open sores that could lead to a bacterial infection.
Preventive action can help keep your cat safe this spring. Here are steps you can take:
Keep your cat indoors Staying indoors decreases your cats chances of catching diseased prey or being infected by fleas.
Visit the vet - Take your cat in for a complete physical annually, or better yet, twice a year. Your vet will run important tests, such as an antibody test for heartworm, which can catch infections in their early stages.
Administer preventive medicine A monthly heartworm and flea preventative, which comes in the form of a chewable tablet or liquid applied topically to the back of your cat’s neck, can help maintain its health.
|
