Here at Crosslake Veterinary Hospital, we are proud to be able to serve Crosslake, MN and our surrounding communities.
Due to our geographic location, ticks are prevalent and can be a nuisance. Because of this, our staff is well educated about them and the diseases that they carry.
Ticks often hide in brushes and tall grass. All your pet has to do is walk by a tick and it can attach itself to your pet. Ticks typically do not cause damage from the bite itself, but can carry many diseases that are transmitted during the feeding phase which can then affect your pet. Ticks spread disease by taking a blood meal from one animal and then biting another (including humans).
The most common diseases we see here are Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis which cause acute lameness, fever, lethargy, and inappetence in pets. Some of the other diseases that you may see are Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis.
Because ticks are so harmful and prevalent in our area, here at Crosslake Veterinary Hospital, we are firm believers in tick prevention. A good monthly prevention like NexGard will help to keep ticks at bay. It is a chewable tablet that many dogs enjoy!
Advances in tick control have given us oral products for ticks that are significantly more effective than any topical or collar formulation on the market. Please feel free to ask for any further details from any of our staff.
We recommend heartworm and flea and tick prevention all year round. Fleas and ticks are hardy parasites and have been known to show up even when the temperature seems too low for them to thrive. You should also keep your grass mowed and trim up any large bushes where ticks may like to hide out. When your pets come inside after being in an area with a large amount of ticks, it is always a good idea to brush them and thoroughly search for ticks.
If you have any questions about NexGard or any other medications that we offer for fleas and ticks or are concerned about your pet having a tick-borne disease, please contact us today at (218) 692-4400.