Many of our pets enjoy spending time outdoors during the summer months.  As long as they have plenty of water, shade, play time and nap time, they’re usually happy.  But sometimes pests can interfere.  Ticks, spiders, bees, mosquitoes, fleas, etc are out in full force right now.  We know how we can protect ourselves with bug repellent and citronella candles, but let’s not forget about our furry friends.  I do the “Pet of the Week” segment on WAVY-TV and have a genuine love for animals and their well-being.

If you haven’t thought about parasite prevention for your pet, now would be a good time to start.  Fleas can cause some bad diseases in your pet such as cat scratch fever and tapeworms.  Fleas also can irritate your pet’s skin causing him/her to scratch the itchy skin continuously.  Ticks can carry Lyme Disease and other less known diseases.  Infected mosquitoes can transmit heartworms to both cats and dogs.  Heartworms can survive in your pet’s lungs, heart, and blood vessels.  Even indoor pets are at risk of mosquitoes because these pesky critters like to sneak inside buildings and can actually survive quite well indoors.  Other internal parasites like hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms can also infect your pets causing them gastrointestinal problems: kittens and puppies are most susceptible  to these parasites.

To keep your pet healthy during the summer months, talk with your veterinarian about parasite prevention.  If you have a story you’d like to share about how you keep your pet safe and cool during the summer months, let me know.  I’d love to see your pet pictures too.  Feel free to send me an email at cheryl.nelson@wavy.com

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson