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Cliff Lake Veterinary Clinic

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Tick Borne Diseases and Feline Heartworm Disease

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Tick Borne Diseases

Living in Minnesota we have to protect our pets against tick borne diseases. Ticks feed heavily in the spring and fall months during mild weather conditions but also during the summer months. There are many types of ticks that can infect our pets and spread different types of blood borne pathogens (germs). Due to urban sprawl and the increased number of wild turkeys we have seen a large spike in tick populations in the past 3 years. Tick borne diseases that are present in Minnesota include: Lyme, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. These diseases present with varying symptoms that include: joint pain (limping), fever, lethargy, and decreased appetite. The pathogens (germs) that spread through the tick that cause the above diseases can also attack the red blood cells, and have a severe effect on the major organs, causing life threatening illnesses. There is no vaccine for Ehrlichia, Anaplasma or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. All pets are at risk for tick infestation as ticks are primarily found in low standing grass in all regions of Minnesota. Therefore, preventing ticks from biting your pet is very important in controlling the transmission of the above diseases.

Frontline Plus ® is one product that has been found to be to be safe and affective against transmission of tick borne diseases. Once a tick bites the time it takes for diseases to be passed to your pet can be as few as 24 hour! Fipronil is the active ingredient in Frontline Plus® which is four times stronger than any ingredient that can be found in over the counter preventative. If a tick is still able to attach to your pet, the Fipronil will kill the tick and it will fall off within 24 hours. Frontline Plus® works through your pets sebaceous glands (skin glands) and never enters the blood stream so it is safe for use in all pets. It is continuously released throughout the month and therefore does not loose affect after swimming or bathing. Frontline Plus® also protects and treats against fleas, chewing lice and Demodicosis (mange).

We do not recommend over the counter preventatives, as they are not found to be as affective against protecting against tick bites. Flea/tick collars have been reported to cause irritation around the neck region with owners still finding ticks attached to their pet, especially in the hind quarters. Over the counter topical preventatives have also been reported to not be as effective as veterinary only products, such as Frontline Plus®. Owners have reported finding ticks attached after 48 hours. There have also been several reports regarding adverse side-effects after application, including, but not limited to, neurological side-effects.

Given the prevalence of the above tick borne diseases in Minnesota it is our goal to have all of our patients protected against ticks using Frontline Plus® monthly during the season. We recommend that Frontline Plus® be applied monthly March through November.