Its that time of the year when you and your pets find yourself spending more time outdoors! Summer is a fun time for exploring and planning activities that include your pet. With all the exciting things to come this summer, please don’t forget to keep them safe against ticks and fleas! Unfortunately, Ticks and Fleas love our furry friends so taking these measures will help protect your babies from these pesky critters.

Using a preventative tick and flea treatment is recommended for summer, but also year round too. They are more common in the warmer months but they can realistically hop onto your pet anytime of the year. Most people believe the common myth that they only are able to live on our pets during the summer, but they can thrive indoors during the winter, too! There are several effective products you can use on your pet. Talk to your vet about what is the best suitable one for them. Go with a recommended, trusted brand that doesn’t contain toxic and potentially harmful ingredients. Frontline plus is an effective option that you can apply topically monthly to your kitties and dogs. Another one is K9 Advantix II which can be purchased at almost every pet supply store or Amazon!

Natural and holistic approaches to flea/tick prevention are possible with all the sprays and treatments available. A personal favorite brand of natural pet products is the Dr. Harveys line. They make a wonderful herbal spray and shampoo treatment that use natural, organic essential oils to protect and treat our furbabies. Some of the ingredients included in these products are common herbal extracts such as citronella oil, eucalyptus, rosemary, cedarwood and more. The herbal spray is perfect to spray on your pet’s fur and even rub it into their collars before heading outdoors.

Hiking with your dogs (and maybe cats) is in full force! San Diego is home to beautiful trails all throughout the county. Going to a dog friendly hike is the perfect way to spend a summer day (don’t forget lots of water of course!). Always keep an eye out for any ticks or fleas that are hiding on your pet’s body. Immediately after a hike or walk, pull your dog aside and do a full nose to tail check. It’s significant to check your pet as soon as possible because infections and diseases can spread within 24-48 hours. That’s not a lot of time! And really take a good look all over because these blood suckers start off teeny tiny, making them difficult to see.

If you do catch one of those stinkers, do not worry! You’ll need a pair of pointed tweezers on hand to get the tick out of your pet’s fur. Sterilize the location and grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Use pressure but make sure not to pull overly hard or too much because part of the tick could break off and stay in the skin. You may need to have an extra person available to make the tick removal process a tad bit smoother. Fleas are smaller creatures that tend to be more difficult to spot. They are little specks that love to live on our pets’ fur and make their way into the household- carpets, blankets, couches- you name it! So if you see your pet scratching more than usual, then perform a nose to tail check and move around any fluffy fur in search of fleas. Start treatment immediately if you find any on your pets. Remember that they spread easily so give your house a deep cleaning so that re-infestation isn’t a possibility!

This summer lets make tick and flea prevention a priority of our pets! Not only will they cause your pet to be uncomfortable but these insects can lead to serious diseases, especially when left untreated for too long. Whether you’re camping or hitting up dog beach, have fun outdoors with your furbabies this summer and remember to always be on the lookout for ticks and fleas!