Yes! Cats and dogs need flea and tick prevention year-round. This is especially true in Texas, where our climate is ideal breeding ground for these pests.  Fleas and ticks are not limited to the outdoors. Fleas can jump up to two feet high and often hitch rides on area critters. Ticks are also often transported to suburban areas by wildlife like raccoons, possums, squirrels, etc. and can find their way from your yard into your home. 

Though it’s called flea prevention, it is the first step in ridding your pet and home of an active flea infestation. Most preventatives work by killing adult fleas before they can take a blood meal from your pet, stopping the cycle of reproduction. However, eggs lying in wait to hatch will be present in the environment for up to three weeks. 

It’s important to treat your yard, and home at the same time you administer your pet’s flea control medication to eliminate the active infestation. Begin by washing all of your pet’s bedding in hot water. For cloth furniture or carpeted areas, be sure to vacuum daily for two to three weeks. Empty the vacuum bag/canister outside your home after each session. 

A licensed pest control agent will be able to assess your home/yard and make the best product recommendation to kill flea egg and larvae in the environment. 

It’s recommended to start your puppy or kitten on flea and tick prevention as early as the product label allows. Prevention specifically for puppies and kittens is available via TCAP’s online pharmacy. These products are recommended as early as 8 weeks old for puppies and kittens. 

If you feel confident, you can grasp the tick as close to your pet’s skin as possible and pull it out in a straight motion. Be cautious not to yank or jerk too quickly, as ticks bury their head in the skin of their host. If left behind, remnants of the tick still in your pet’s skin can become infected. 

Should you attempt to remove a tick and leave the head behind, or if  you don’t feel comfortable removing the tick from your pet, we recommend contacting your local full-service veterinarian for assistance. 

Tick removal is not a service provided at TCAP.  

Lyme disease is an infection with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is most commonly transmitted to humans and pets via the bite of infected deer ticks and blacklegged ticks. 

The incubation period of Lyme disease is between two and five months. Symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs include joint swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, swollen lymph notes, lameness, and damage to the kidneys. In serious cases, Lyme disease can affect the central nervous system leading to neurologic issues. 

Keeping your pet on flea and tick control year round will dramatically reduce the likelihood of infection. Additionally, TCAP offers the Lyme vaccine for dogs, which helps build and maintain antibodies against the B. burgdorferi bacteria.  

Yes! TCAP offer’s the Lyme vaccine for dogs during all of our vaccine events. The Lyme vaccine helps build and maintain antibodies against the B. burgdorferi bacteria. 

If it’s your pet’s first time receiving the vaccine, it will need to be boostered 3-4 weeks after the initial dose. Thereafter, it’s recommended your dog receive this vaccine annually. 

Ask one of TCAP’s veterinarians if the Lyme vaccine is right for your dog.