Veterinary Medicine - March 2009 - (Page A3)

Veterinary Team Advocate #3: Next door Just because your clients treat their pets for fleas and ticks properly doesn’t mean their neighbors do. These next-door buddies may often get together for playtime, putting your clients’ pets at risk if their friends aren’t treated. Untreated pets may have fleas that drop flea eggs into your clients’ yards. Then, when the eggs eventually develop into adults, they can hop onto your clients’ pets. Plus, negligent neighbors need only toss out a throw rug embedded with flea eggs to introduce fleas into clients’ yards. Q Cool down: Tucker recommends having clients ask what, if any, flea and tick control product their neighbors use. Remind clients that their best protection against fleas and ticks is a product that kills fleas, their eggs and larvae, as well as ticks, such as FRONTLINE® Plus. areas beneath the house are great places for fleas (in developmental stages) to thrive and also attract their carriers—squirrels, raccoons, and even pets. It takes only one spring day’s catnap outside for a pet to pick up fleas from an outdoor rug or cushion. Q Cool down: Have clients block off access to areas underneath their homes, Tucker says. Also, remind them to wash outdoor rugs and cushions regularly. Fleas by the numbers Q In a single day, an adult flea can lay up to 50 eggs. Q Adult fleas represent only 5% of the entire flea population, which also include eggs (50%), larvae (35%), and pupae (10%). Q Flea larvae transition to pupae, which can survive for six months or more. Q It can take several months to clear an infestation due to new fleas emerging from other life stages. Q To help prevent reinfestation, choose a product that kills not only adult fleas but also flea eggs and larvae. #5: The park Ask clients if they take their pets to the park or a pet sitter. Anywhere pets come together is a potential hot spot for fleas, especially when other owners don’t use a flea and tick control product. Q Cool down: Have clients recommend the flea and tick control they use on their pets to pet sitters and fellow owners. Remind clients to wash bedding regularly. The bottom line: Clients need to think about their pets’ environment. Once they realize the ever-present danger for fleas and ticks surrounding their pets, they can understand the need to help protect pets by applying a flea and tick product every month, year-round. Staunch survivalists Number of months flea pupae can survive without food: Up to 12 365 #4: Porches and under the house Some clients don’t need to go farther than their welcome mats to greet unwanted visitors. Outside rugs, patio cushions, and shady Number of days some tick species can live without feeding: Up to Sources: Maryland Cooperative Extension: Home and garden. Fleas. Available at: www.hgic.umd. edu/_media/documents/FleasHG27pfv.pdf. Accessed April 12, 2007. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fighting fleas and ticks. Available at: www.fda.gov/fdac/features/696_flea.html. Accessed April 12, 2007. http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/FleasHG27pfv.pdf http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/FleasHG27pfv.pdf http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/696_flea.html

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - March 2009

Veterinary Medicine - March 2009 Contents Letters Correction Author Guidelines Hot Literature Idea Exchange A Challenging Case Local and Regional Anesthesia Techniques The Latest Scoop on Litter Product Preview CE Form/Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - March 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.