The summer sun means wonderful weather for people and pets. Unfortunately, pests and parasites also love this time of year, as it means prime feeding.

Prevention is the best method of reducing risk of disease and infestation for pets and your facility. It is a good idea to ask questions about prevention when new pets are staying with you.

Always consult a veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment options for any dangerous pests. We highly recommend building a strong relationship with veterinarians so that you have a trusted source to go to in any situation.

Ticks
Ticks commonly surface in the spring and will stay most active through fall. They live in high brush areas or tall grass and love to latch onto playful animals. They are commonly found close to the head, neck, feet and ear areas of pets, but can ultimately be found anywhere on a dog’s body. If found, ticks should be removed immediately to reduce the risk of harmful disease and health complications.

There can be many complications from ticks, including blood loss, tick paralysis, irritation and infection. Beyond that, ticks can also spread disease, most commonly Lyme disease. Lyme disease can lead to fatal complications and should be treated immediately if symptoms are suspected. Some common or more noticeable symptoms include swelling of the infected area, swelling of joints, loss of appetite and fever.

Successful tick control for your facility starts in your yard. Make sure grass is mowed regularly, eliminating tall grass, weeds and brush. Ticks are also commonly found near rodents, so make sure your facility is clean, well-kept and rodent-free.

Mosquitos
Dogs have some natural protection from mosquitos, but they are nowhere near resistant to the potentially dangerous effects of bites. The most dangerous of diseases that come from mosquitos is Heartworm.

Heartworm is a parasite that lives in the blood vessels and heart of pets that are infected and is spread by mosquitos from dogs that contain the parasite. When an infected dog is bitten, the blood mosquitos withdraw can contain the offspring of the heartworm which is then passed along as the bug bites a second dog. These nasty parasites live inside the host’s blood vessels and heart and can grow up to a foot in length. These parasites are extremely dangerous when left untreated. Common symptoms include coughing, vomiting, difficulty breathing and fainting.

There are easy ways to reduce mosquito populations around your facilities. Mosquitos love stagnant water; they breed and thrive in this environment. Making sure any puddles or sources of standing water are cleaned up and emptied makes breeding difficult for mosquitos. You should also change and clean outdoor water bowls frequently. If you have tire swings or any features like this that unnecessarily hold water, try drilling a hole in the bottom so water can drain.

K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel is an award winning, number 1 rated pet care facility. K-9 Resorts has been rated number 1 by New Jersey Monthly Magazine, Courier News, Suburban Essex and Monmouth Health & Life Magazine. K-9 Resorts was founded in 2005 by brothers Steven and Jason Parker in Fanwood, N.J. When in their early teens, their parents denied them a dog of their own, so the entrepreneurial pair opened a professional pet-sitting business to prove they were not only willing, but ready to care for a dog. That business not only became a highly profitable enterprise that they sold for a six-figure sum in 2006, that revenue became the expansion fuel for their burgeoning K-9 Resorts business. The business, which is the only facility in New Jersey to have been rated number 1 by multiple major publications, is a luxury pet care franchise with locations throughout the East Coast of the U.S. K-9 Resorts has been featured on Fox News, CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. To learn more about K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel and potential franchise opportunities, visit the company’s website www.k9resorts.com.

Next Article